A civic advocacy group, the Centre for Constitutional Governance and Electoral Integrity (CCGEI), has defended the eligibility of Kingsley Chinda as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State. The group dismissed a lawsuit challenging his participation in the party's primary as politically motivated.
CCGEI stated that critics questioning Chinda's qualification should provide evidence showing he took part in any activity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after April 2, 2026. The defence comes after a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Chinda's participation in the APC governorship primary.
Group Rejects Defection Allegations
In a statement made available to the press, Ibrahim Danjuma, executive director of CCGEI, described the suit as baseless, speculative, and politically driven. According to the group, Chinda had already stepped down from his position as minority leader of the House of Representatives before joining the APC governorship race and has not acted in any official PDP capacity since then.
The statement reads: 'The process has been concluded. Hon. Kingsley Chinda is the duly emerged governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers state. Those raising allegations of defection irregularities should present one single proof anywhere in Nigeria showing that after April 2, 2026, Hon. Chinda attended any PDP function, represented the PDP in any capacity, or acted as minority leader in the House of Representatives.'
No Evidence Exists Against Chinda, Says Group
CCGEI maintained that no evidence exists to support claims that Chinda continued to function within the PDP after aligning with the APC. 'Since April 2, he has not presided over any PDP caucus, issued any statement as minority leader, attended any PDP event, or functioned in that office in any form whatsoever,' Danjuma said. 'Political opponents cannot replace facts with assumptions simply because they are uncomfortable with the outcome of the APC primary.'
The group argued that Chinda fulfilled all constitutional and procedural requirements before contesting the APC governorship ticket.
Group Calls for Dismissal of Suit
CCGEI also accused those behind the suit of attempting to create uncertainty around a completed political process rather than protecting constitutional order. It urged the court to dismiss what it described as 'a fishing expedition dressed up as constitutional litigation.'
The organisation added that freedom of political association and democratic participation are constitutionally protected rights that should not be undermined by lawsuits lacking verifiable evidence.
Rivers APC Hailed for Conducting Peaceful Gov Primary Election
In another report, the Rainbow Coalition Ambassadors have praised the Rivers State chapter of the APC following the peaceful conduct of its governorship primary election ahead of the 2027 polls. The group described the exercise as orderly and transparent. It said the outcome reflected a growing culture of political maturity within the state's political space. The coalition also commended party leaders and stakeholders for ensuring that the process ended without tension or division.
