Rivers 2027: Court Fixes Nov 4 to Hear Suit Challenging Kingsley Chinda’s APC Governorship Nomination

The Rivers State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda is facing serious questions over his eligibility to contest next year’s poll.

This follows a lawsuit before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt that is challenging the process leading to his nomination.

The suit was filed by one Samuel Amatonjie seeking an order disqualifying Chinda from the 2027 governorship race and a declaration that INEC is bound to enforce these strict constitutional provisions on defection.

The legal issues in question are constitutional and have to do with the interpretation of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to determine if Chinda had properly defected from the PDP to the APC before emerging as the party’s standard bearer.

The plaintiff argues that based on relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, Chinda was not constitutionally eligible to be screened or to contest the APC primary because his formal defection and resignation letter was not read on the floor of the House of Representatives by the Speaker until June 2, 2026.

He argues that the announcement of his defection came after he had been screened on May 9, 2026, and subsequently declared a candidate of the APC following the May 21, 2026, primary.

When the matter came up for mention, Amatonjie requested an adjournment, explaining to the court that he needed more time to study and reply to the counter-affidavits and preliminary objections served on him by the defendants on September 28.

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Turaki, subsequently adjourned the case till November 4, 2026, for a full hearing.