ADC chieftain challenges APC to produce documents supporting Chinda’s Rivers candidacy

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to provide documentary evidence establishing the validity of Kingsley Chinda’s nomination as its candidate for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.

Eze’s call followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment restoring Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, provisions dealing with party membership registers and the nomination of candidates.

In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, the ADC chieftain said the judgment reinforced the requirement for political parties to comply with statutory conditions governing their internal electoral processes.

He argued that the key issue was whether Chinda’s name appeared in the APC membership register validly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the period stipulated by law.

“APC cannot merely announce that its Rivers State governorship candidate, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, is qualified because the party says he registered 24 days before its primary,” Eze said.

“The critical question is whether Chinda’s name was actually contained in the verified APC membership register validly submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by Section 77 of the Electoral Act and whether every other statutory requirement relating to the nomination of APC candidates was equally satisfied.”

The APC declared Chinda its Rivers governorship candidate after its May 21 primary, where he was the sole aspirant and was declared winner. Reports indicate that Chinda registered as an APC member on April 27, 2026, 24 days before the primary.

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The Supreme Court, in the judgment cited by Eze, set aside the Court of Appeal decision that had invalidated the disputed provisions and restored the sections of the Electoral Act. The ruling has subsequently generated debate over the implications of the provisions for some candidates whose party primaries had already been conducted.

Eze said the APC should present the relevant records to INEC and, where necessary, the courts to establish that its nomination process complied with the law.

“The Supreme Court has spoken. What remains is compliance. The APC cannot substitute political assertions for documentary evidence,” he said.

“If the party insists that its Rivers candidates are validly nominated, let it place before INEC and, where necessary, the courts, the very documents upon which the legality of those nominations rests.”

He further referenced Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires a person seeking election as governor to be a member of a political party and sponsored by that party.

Eze maintained that the controversy should not be viewed as a personal dispute involving Chinda, but as a question of compliance with Nigeria’s electoral laws.

“This is not about Kingsley Chinda as an individual. It is not even about APC as a political party. It is about whether the rule of law will govern the 2027 electoral process in Rivers State or whether political expediency will once again be allowed to supersede statutory compliance,” he said.

The APC in Rivers State has, however, rejected concerns over Chinda’s eligibility, maintaining that there is no issue with his candidacy. The party has pointed to his registration 24 days before its May 21 primary.

Separately, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has fixed November 4, 2026, for hearing of a suit challenging Chinda’s eligibility to contest the governorship election on the APC platform. The suit, filed by Samuel Amatonjie, raises issues concerning Chinda’s defection from the PDP and his participation in the APC screening and primary.

Eze urged INEC to apply the same legal standards to all political parties and candidates and to scrutinise the relevant membership registers and nomination documents.

“There should be no special exemption for APC, PDP, ADC or any other political party. The sanctity of the ballot begins with the legality of the process through which candidates emerge,” he said.

He also called for the 2027 electoral process in Rivers State to be conducted in accordance with the Constitution and Electoral Act, saying disputes over nominations should be resolved through established legal and institutional channels.