The Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, on Saturday, May 9, 2026, appeared before the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Screening panel ahead of the party’s primaries.
Chinda, who presently serving in the House on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was screened as an aspirant for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.
The Reps member appearance comes amid reports of a quiet defection to the APC in recent days, but without formally announcing his defection either in Rivers State or on the floor of the House of Representatives as it’s the practice.
Accordingly, Chinda had as at the last sitting of the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 7, he was still holding on to his Minority Leadership position.
Checks indicated Hon Chinda is one of the two known political allies of Nyesom Wike, the minister of the FCT who purchased APC governorship nomination forms while the other is Dax Kelly.
Other political figures that equally purchased the Governorship forms include Governor Siminalayi Fubara and a former APC governorship candidate, Mr. Tonye Cole.
Chinda’s screening by the APC committee was seen as a significant development in the unfolding political realignments in Rivers State.
As a close associate of Wike, his potential move to the APC could further reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
How the screening of an aspirant with dual membership of political party would scale through the screening panel of the APC is being awaited.
