The Parliament Support Network (PSN) has dismissed calls by the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, from the 2027 ballot.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 29, PSN's National President Maxwell Idoko argued that no legal basis exists for Chinda's disqualification. The group's position comes after ALDRAP requested INEC to act on a Supreme Court judgment delivered last week concerning sections of the Electoral Act 2026 related to party membership registers and candidate nomination.
PSN Cites Rivers APC's Membership Timeline
PSN argued that the Supreme Court's restoration of sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 did not constitute a judicial declaration that Chinda is ineligible to contest. Idoko pointed to the Rivers APC's assertion that Chinda joined the party 24 days before the governorship primary, which exceeds the 21-day threshold referenced in the restored provisions.
"The relevant question is not whether some individuals are uncomfortable with Hon. Kingsley Chinda's emergence, but whether the legal requirements governing his nomination were satisfied. The Rivers APC has stated that he became a member of the party 24 days before the primary, while the applicable requirement is 21 days. That factual position cannot simply be wished away because some interests are demanding his removal from the ballot," Idoko said.
Group Accuses Opponents of Political Motives
PSN described the campaign against Chinda as politically driven, alleging that unnamed interests were unsettled by his growing profile in Rivers State. "We are concerned that those who are uncomfortable with Hon. Chinda's rising political profile and those who do not want to see Rivers State make progress are now attempting to manufacture a disqualification narrative around his candidacy. Political disagreements are legitimate, but they should not be converted into legal claims without a solid factual and legal foundation," Idoko said.
PSN called on INEC to remain neutral and urged anyone with a genuine legal complaint to pursue it through the courts rather than through public campaigns. "The electoral process must be protected from unnecessary disruption. If anyone has a genuine legal objection, the appropriate thing is to present the evidence before the competent court rather than attempt to create a disqualification by public pressure," Idoko added.
Call for Judicial Process and Governance Focus
The group concluded by urging political actors and civil society organisations to allow INEC and the judiciary to carry out their constitutional roles without interference, saying the attention of Rivers State residents should remain on governance issues ahead of the 2027 elections.
Earlier, public affairs analyst Anyakweh Miracle Amadi, Esq., clarified that the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Electoral Act 2026 does not disqualify Chinda as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State. Amadi stated this during an exclusive chat with Legit.ng over the weekend, following public debate over the ruling's implications for candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
