WorldStage— The Association of Legislative Drafting Practitioners (ALDRAP) has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the immediate disqualification of Hon. Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Rivers State in the upcoming 2027 general election.
The formal request, conveyed in a letter signed by ALDRAP’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, follows an ongoing legal battle initiated by the group.
The association has brought a lawsuit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, registered under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/972/2026.
In the suit, ALDRAP is the plaintiff, while INEC, the APC, the APC National Chairman, Abdul Mahmud, Mariana Ajibola, and Kingsley Chinda himself are listed as respondents.
ALDRAP’s petition arises from a contentious political environment in Rivers State and follows a landmark Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026.
The apex court’s ruling emphasized strict adherence to Section 77(5) and (6) of the Electoral Act, which mandates political parties to submit their verified membership registers to INEC at least 30 days prior to conducting primary elections.
Legal commentators and opponents argue that because Chinda’s official notice of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC was formally read on the floor of the House of Representatives on June 2, 2026—weeks after the APC primary on May 21—his nomination is pre-emptively invalidated.
ALDRAP maintains that Chinda’s dual party association violates constitutional rules on legislative defection, specifically Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, as he continues to hold his seat and serve as the Minority Leader in the Green Chamber under the PDP platform.
However, supporters of Chinda have vigorously countered these claims, insisting that records show Chinda formally resigned from the PDP and defected to the APC on April 23, 2026, completing his registration on the APC portal by April 27, 2026—25 days before the primary election where he emerged as the sole candidate after other contestants stepped down.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the APC has dismissed all reports of Chinda’s disqualification, describing them as completely false.
State party officials maintain that the Supreme Court did not issue any direct order nullifying Chinda’s ticket and assert that his candidacy remains valid, safe, and intact.
INEC has yet to issue an official response to ALDRAP’s letter as the legal teams prepare for the court battle.
