A Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to stop the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, from participating in the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.
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Chinda, a known ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State after the party’s primary election held on May 21, 2026.
He was the sole candidate in the exercise following the last-minute withdrawal of other aspirants, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly.
However, Chinda’s emergence has now become the subject of a legal challenge. An association of lawyers, including members from his Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking orders to stop him from participating in the 2027 governorship poll.
The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners through its counsel, J. B. Lamay, Esq.
Listed as respondents are Chinda, George-Kelly, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the APC, the Department of State Services and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The plaintiff is asking the court to restrain Chinda from participating in the governorship election on the ground that his alleged defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC did not comply with the Electoral Act, 2026, as amended, as well as constitutional provisions and Supreme Court pronouncements on the defection of legislators.
Chinda currently serves as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, a position he occupies on the basis of his membership of the PDP. His appearance as an APC governorship aspirant has raised questions over alleged dual party membership and the legal status of his seat in the National Assembly.
The plaintiff is also seeking an order directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives to immediately remove Chinda as Minority Leader, declare his seat vacant and allow INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacancy.
According to the plaintiff, Chinda’s alleged defection violated Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution and the Supreme Court judgment of February 27, 2025, which it said laid down the steps for lawful defection by legislators.
In an affidavit in support of the originating summons, Jesse Amuga, Administrative Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, said the plaintiff believes Chinda’s continued occupation of legislative office while participating in APC governorship activities is unlawful and contrary to democratic ethics and constitutional order.
The plaintiff further stated that lawyers representing Chinda’s constituents had, in October 2025, served him a pre-action notice of their intention to commence a recall process if he defected from the PDP to the APC.
It claimed that by April 2026, Chinda had allegedly ignored the warning and defected to the APC, prompting the filing of the suit.
The suit also challenged the participation of George-Kelly in the APC governorship process, alleging that he failed to resign as Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency in line with the directive requiring presidential appointees seeking elective office in 2027 to resign by March 30, 2026.
Although George-Kelly has since withdrawn from the primary, the plaintiff is still asking the court to direct INEC not to recognise or accord validity to the participation, nomination or candidature of Chinda and George-Kelly in the APC Rivers State governorship primary pending the determination of the suit.
The case adds a fresh legal dimension to the lingering political crisis in Rivers State, where Chinda’s emergence as APC governorship candidate has now placed his legislative seat, party status and 2027 ambition under judicial scrutiny.
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