INEC Clears Chinda for 2027 Rivers Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Kingsley Chinda to contest the 2027 Rivers State governorship election, placing the former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives on its final list of 19 candidates.

Chinda appeared at number five on the list released by the electoral commission on Saturday, ahead of the next governorship election in Rivers State.

His inclusion has drawn attention because of questions surrounding his political affiliation and the circumstances of his emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Chinda was previously a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he built his political career before his reported emergence under the APC platform.

Chinda’s name on the final list is particularly notable given the legal questions that have surrounded the eligibility of some political figures following the Supreme Court’s intervention in provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Act, which address party membership records and compliance with the requirements for selecting candidates for elections.

The provisions have raised questions about whether political parties can nominate individuals whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted to INEC within the stipulated period.

The issue has become important for parties preparing their candidates for the forthcoming general elections, particularly where defections and changes in political affiliation are involved.

Under the restored provisions, compliance with party membership registration requirements could determine whether a candidate is eligible to contest under a party’s platform.

This has placed greater attention on the records submitted by political parties and the procedures followed in producing their candidates.

Chinda’s appearance on INEC’s final list indicates that the commission has included him among the candidates cleared for the Rivers governorship race.

However, the publication of the list alone does not provide a detailed explanation of the commission’s consideration of any specific legal or membership-related questions surrounding his candidacy.

The commission’s decision comes weeks after the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) called for action over Chinda’s eligibility. The group had urged INEC to meet with the APC and the candidate to address concerns arising from the Supreme Court judgment and a pending legal challenge to his nomination.

The legal controversy has centred on the timing of Chinda’s registration with the APC and whether the party complied with the statutory requirements governing membership registers before conducting its governorship primary.

Chinda emerged as the APC’s candidate on May 21, 2026, after other aspirants withdrew from the contest.

The party’s governorship primary committee announced that he scored 268,497 votes, having emerged as the sole aspirant in the exercise.

His emergence came amid political developments involving Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the camp associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The minister has publicly backed Chinda’s ambition and described him as his preferred choice to succeed Fubara.

Wike expressed his support at a reception organised in his honour by Ogbakor Ikwerre, a socio-cultural organisation representing the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, in Rivers State.

At the gathering, Wike referred to Chinda as the “former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives and, by the grace of God, the next governor of Rivers State.”

INEC’s final list also features candidates from several other political parties, making the Rivers governorship election a contest involving multiple platforms.

Among those listed are Gabriel Pidomson Baritulem of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Samuel Soni Ejekwu of the PDP.

Other parties represented include the Action Alliance, Action Alliance of Nigeria, Action Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Action Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party, Boot Party, Democratic Leadership Alliance, Labour Party, National Democratic Party, National Network for Progressive People, National Rescue Movement, People’s Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party and Zenith Labour Party.

However, the inclusion of a candidate on INEC’s list does not, by itself, resolve every legal dispute that may arise over a nomination.

Any outstanding court proceedings and applicable electoral requirements remain separate matters that may affect the final determination of a candidate’s eligibility.

Recall that POLITICS NIGERIA had earlier reported a legal move seeking to stop Chinda from contesting the 2027 Rivers governorship election under the APC.

The suit, filed by ALDRAP, challenged aspects of his nomination and brought his political defection and eligibility into focus.

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