Rivers ADC Challenges Chinda’s Eligibility After Supreme Court Ruling

The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has questioned the eligibility of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda, to contest the 2027 governorship election.

The ADC based its position on a recent Supreme Court judgment concerning statutory requirements for political parties to submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before conducting primary elections.

The Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgment, restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 dealing with party membership registers and candidate nomination procedures. The ruling itself did not specifically determine Chinda’s eligibility or nullify his APC nomination.

However, ADC Rivers Publicity Secretary, Chizi Enyi, argued that the judgment raised questions about Chinda’s membership status and the APC register submitted to INEC.

Enyi said Chinda registered with the APC on April 27, 2026, while the party conducted its National Assembly primary on May 16.

He argued that the period between Chinda’s registration and the primary was less than the statutory 21-day requirement cited by the ADC.

The party also questioned whether Chinda’s name was included in the membership register submitted to INEC before his registration with the APC.

According to Enyi, reports indicated that the APC had submitted its membership register to INEC before Chinda joined the party, raising questions over the validity of any subsequent nomination involving him.

The ADC therefore argued that the Supreme Court judgment could have implications for Chinda’s candidacy and urged relevant authorities to examine the party’s membership records and nomination documents.

Chinda emerged as the APC governorship candidate after winning the party’s primary election in Rivers State on May 21, 2026.

The controversy has, however, drawn a response from the Rivers APC, which rejected claims that Chinda had become ineligible.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Ikenga Chibike, said Chinda registered with the APC 24 days before the May 21 governorship primary, exceeding the 21-day period referenced in the Electoral Act.

The Rivers APC maintained that the Supreme Court judgment did not directly invalidate Chinda’s candidacy.

A separate group, the Parliament Support Network, has also argued that the apex court ruling did not specifically determine Chinda’s eligibility, saying any challenge to his nomination should be resolved based on the applicable law and evidence.

The dispute remains subject to legal proceedings, with questions surrounding Chinda’s party membership records and nomination continuing to generate debate ahead of the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.