The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to accord recognition to the participation of Hon. Kingsley Chinda in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Rivers State.
Chinda, who is the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and an ally of Nyesom Wike, former governor of Rivers State and present minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was declared winner of the APC Governorship primary exercise held on May 21.
However, there has arisen a controversy on the status of Chinda’s membership of both the PDP and APC before obtaining the nomination form of the ruling party.
Accordingly, the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) filed a suit on May 12, few days before the APC governorship primary challenging Chinda’s dual membership of two political parties.
Joined in the suit as Respondents are Chinda (first); George-Kelly Alabo, Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency (second); Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) (third); Speaker of House of Representatives (fourth); APC (fifth); Inspector General of Police (sixth); Director General of the Department of State Services (seventh); and Attorney General of the federation (eighth).
Alabo, who is the second respondent, also obtained the APC Rivers governorship nomination form but later withdrew from the race.
ALDRAP in the suit argued that Chinda’s participation in the nomination and screening process of APC amount to defection and/or conduct inconsistent with Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution and therefore asked the APC to disqualify Chinda from contesting the Rivers State Governorship primary election.
The Plaintiff/Applicant also affirmed that the actions of the 1st Defendant/Respondent amount to political defection and/or conduct inconsistent with the political party platform upon which he was elected into the House of Representatives.
Part of the court documents further reads; “That Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that a member of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat if being a person whose election was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which the House was elected except under constitutionally recognised exceptions.
“AN ORDER directing the 5th Defendant/Respondent, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to reject, disqualify and prevent the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents from participating in the APC Rivers State Governorship Primary Election scheduled for 21st May 2026 or any subsequent date pending compliance with the Constitution and Electoral Act.
“AN ORDER directing the 3rd Defendant/Respondent, INEC, not to recognise or accord validity to the participation, nomination and/or candidature of the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents in the APC Rivers State Governorship Primary Election scheduled for 21st May 2026 or any subsequent date.
“AN ORDER directing the 6th, 7th, and 8th Defendants/Respondents respectively, namely the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to perform their constitutional and statutory duties by maintaining law, order and public security and preventing the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents and their supporters from attending or participating in the APC Rivers State Governorship Primary Election pending the determination of this suit.
“AN ORDER OF INTERIM INJUNCTION restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents from presenting themselves as eligible aspirants or candidates in the APC Rivers State Governorship Primary Election pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice,” it stated.
