The Association of Legislative Drafting Practitioners (ALDRAP) has requested 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. This demand was made in a letter dated September 26, 2026, and signed by ALDRAP’s Executive Secretary, Tonye Clinton Jaja. The request is linked to a suit filed by ALDRAP before the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging 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 alleges that the party’s governorship and House of Assembly screening and appeal committees were populated by individuals with political and personal relationships with Chinda. Specifically, the association challenged the appointment of Mahmud and Ajibola as chairmen of the APC Rivers State House of Assembly screening and appeal committees, citing their alleged longstanding relationships with Chinda and Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
According to ALDRAP, these relationships created a reasonable apprehension of bias and compromised the impartiality of the screening exercise. The association argued that this circumstance 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.
In a recent development, ALDRAP 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 aims to facilitate a lawful resolution of consequential issues, including the status of the APC governorship nomination and the applicable membership-register requirements.
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. ALDRAP also asked the electoral commission to determine the administrative steps that should follow from the Supreme Court’s decision. By doing so, INEC can maintain certainty, transparency, and compliance with the Constitution and applicable electoral legislation.
ALDRAP believes that an early resolution through constructive engagement would avoid unnecessary multiplicity of proceedings and assist INEC in its duties. The association’s request to INEC is a significant development in the ongoing dispute over Chinda’s nomination as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State. The outcome of this matter may have implications for the 2027 election in the state.
Key points
- ALDRAP requests INEC to disqualify Kingsley Chinda as APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
- The request cites bias in the screening process due to relationships between Chinda and committee members.
- ALDRAP seeks an out-of-court settlement following the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Electoral Act 2026.
