INEC Asked To Disqualify Rivers APC’s Chinda After S’Court Judgment

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

Politics Nigeria reports that the demand was contained in a letter dated September 26, 2026, and signed by ALDRAP’s Executive Secretary, Tonye Clinton Jaja.

It is understood that the request is connected to a suit filed by the association before the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging aspects of the process through which Chinda and other APC candidates emerged in Rivers State.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/972/2026, lists INEC, Abdul Mahmud, the APC, its national chairman, Chinda and Mariana Ajibola as respondents.

ALDRAP had asked the court to disqualify Chinda and APC candidates for the Rivers State House of Assembly election, alleging that the party’s governorship and House of Assembly screening and appeal committees were populated by individuals with political and personal relationships with Chinda.

The association specifically challenged the appointment of Mahmud and Ajibola as chairmen of the APC Rivers State House of Assembly screening and appeal committees.

According to ALDRAP, their alleged longstanding political and personal relationships with Chinda and individuals aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, created a reasonable apprehension of bias and compromised the impartiality of the screening exercise.

The association argued that the circumstances amounted to a violation of the constitutional right to fair hearing guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

Among its reliefs, ALDRAP asked the court to compel Chinda to appear and testify under oath concerning his political and personal relationships with Mahmud and Ajibola.

It also sought an order nullifying the screening exercise conducted by the respondents.

However, in its latest letter to INEC, the association called for an urgent meeting involving the parties to explore an out-of-court settlement following the Supreme Court’s judgment of September 24, 2026, on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The Supreme Court had upheld INEC’s authority concerning provisions of the Electoral Act relating to political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates.

A seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro set aside an earlier Court of Appeal decision and restored the position of the Federal High Court on the constitutional validity of the relevant provisions.

ALDRAP said the judgment had brought renewed attention to the legal and electoral issues surrounding Chinda’s nomination.

In the letter addressed to the INEC chairman, the association said it was seeking a “lawful administrative resolution” of the issues arising from its pending case and the Supreme Court judgment.

“The proposed engagement is not intended to invite INEC to disregard or undermine the judgment of the Supreme Court,” the association said.

“Rather, ALDRAP seeks to facilitate a lawful resolution of the consequential issues, including the status of the APC governorship nomination, the applicable membership-register requirements, the records submitted to INEC by the APC, and the appropriate steps required to give effect to the Supreme Court’s decision.”

The group urged INEC to convene a consultative meeting with ALDRAP, APC representatives and Chinda, arguing that early engagement could prevent further litigation and help establish clarity on the issues.

It also asked the electoral commission to determine the administrative steps that should follow from the Supreme Court’s decision.

“ALDRAP believes that an early resolution through constructive engagement, where legally permissible, would avoid unnecessary multiplicity of proceedings and assist INEC in maintaining certainty, transparency and compliance with the Constitution and applicable electoral legislation,” the letter added.