Group Asks INEC to Disqualify Chinda as APC Rivers Guber Candidate After S’Court Judgment

The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Rivers State in the 2027 election.

The request followed the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates.

In a letter dated September 26 and signed by its Executive Secretary, Tonye Jaja, the group asked INEC to convene an urgent meeting involving the association, the APC and Chinda to address the legal questions surrounding his nomination.

ALDRAP’s request is connected to a pending suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/972/2026.

The association said the Supreme Court judgment had brought renewed attention to the legal and electoral implications of Chinda’s candidacy, particularly concerning party membership records and the process through which candidates were nominated.

The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered by a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro, set aside an earlier Court of Appeal decision and restored the Federal High Court’s position on sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The provisions concern requirements relating to political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates for elections.

ALDRAP had earlier challenged aspects of the process through which Chinda and other APC candidates emerged in Rivers State.

The group also questioned the composition of the APC Rivers State screening and appeal committees, alleging that individuals with political and personal relationships with Chinda were involved in the process.

It argued that the alleged relationships raised concerns about the independence and impartiality of the screening exercise and infringed on the constitutional right to fair hearing.

ALDRAP has asked the court to compel Chinda to testify under oath regarding his alleged relationships with individuals involved in the screening process and to nullify the exercise.

Following the Supreme Court judgment, the association is now seeking what it described as a lawful administrative resolution of the issues arising from the judgment and the pending litigation.

It urged INEC to determine the appropriate administrative steps required to give effect to the apex court’s decision while ensuring compliance with the Electoral Act and the Constitution.

The APC Rivers State chapter has rejected calls for Chinda’s disqualification, maintaining that the Supreme Court judgment does not affect his eligibility to contest the 2027 governorship election.

The dispute is therefore expected to continue through the relevant legal and electoral processes ahead of the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.