The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected calls for the disqualification of its 2027 governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda, following the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The controversy follows the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 decision restoring key provisions of the Electoral Act dealing with political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates.
The seven-member panel restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) after overturning an earlier Court of Appeal decision that had invalidated the provisions.
One of the provisions at the centre of the dispute, Section 77(5), concerns the membership register political parties submit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before conducting primaries, congresses and conventions.
The ruling has subsequently generated questions concerning candidates whose party primaries were conducted before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
In Chinda’s case, reports indicate that he registered as an APC member on April 27, 2026, while the party’s Rivers governorship primary was held on May 21.
The timeline amounts to 24 days between his reported registration and the primary election.
However, the controversy is not limited to the number of days between Chinda’s registration and the primary. Opponents and legal practitioners have also raised questions about the membership register submitted by the APC to INEC and whether Chinda’s name was contained in the relevant register.
The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has asked INEC to examine the matter and disqualify Chinda from the 2027 governorship contest.
The association’s request was contained in a September 26, 2026 letter signed by its Executive Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja.
The request is connected to a case before the Federal High Court in Abuja involving INEC, the APC, Chinda and other parties.
ALDRAP has also challenged aspects of the APC’s nomination process for the Rivers governorship and House of Assembly elections and raised questions concerning membership records submitted to INEC.
The Rivers APC, however, has rejected the calls for Chinda’s removal.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Ikenga Chibike, said the candidate’s membership timeline complied with the 21-day requirement referenced in the Supreme Court judgment.
Chibike maintained that Chinda registered with the APC 24 days before the May 21 governorship primary.
The APC spokesman therefore said the party had no concern about the candidate’s eligibility.
The dispute comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections and examine the implications of the Supreme Court’s restoration of the disputed provisions of the Electoral Act.
For now, there is no indication from the reports reviewed that the Supreme Court itself ordered Chinda’s disqualification.
Rather, his eligibility is the subject of an ongoing dispute, with ALDRAP asking INEC to act and the Rivers APC maintaining that its candidate met the applicable requirement.
