₦airaland Forum

Speaker asked to produce evidence of Chinda’s defection to APC, resignation as Minority Leader

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbass, has been asked to produce records of proceedings in the Green Chamber to show that a letter announcing Kingsley Chinda’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and resignation as Minority Leader, was read on the floor of the House.

The request was made by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, who recently filed a lawsuit asking an Abuja Federal High Court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising Chinda as a governorship candidate of the APC.

Chinda, an ally of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike, emerged the governorship candidate of the APC in the May 21, 2026, primary election, following the last-minute withdrawal of other contestants – incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly.

However, the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, whose members include indigenes of Chinda’s Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, approached an Abuja Federal High Court seeking to stop him from taking part in the 2027 poll.

The plaintiff argued that the lawmaker’s defection was inconsistent with the provisions of Section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and pronouncements of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the defection of legislators.

To back up the claim that Chinda’s defection did not follow due process, the plaintiff has requested the Speaker of the House of Representatives to produce evidence that a letter notifying the House of the development was read on the floor during plenary.

The request was made via a letter, dated May 26, 2027, signed by Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq., Administrative Secretary,

Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners.

The letter read: “Request brought pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011: Request for the Hansard and Votes of Proceedings and Order Paper of each day of plenary sessions of the House of Representatives, National Assembly, during the month of March and April, 2026, or any other date to ascertain whether the records can confirm the date on which the Rt. Hon. Speaker or any other presiding officer of the House of Representatives read the official letter of resignation of Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda to confirm cessation of his membership of the PDP and also to confirm his resignation as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, National Assembly.

“We write on behalf of some of the 500,000 registered constituents of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, currently represented by Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda.

“We write to request a formal letter of response to the above-named subject-matter.

“This letter that we are requesting is a condition precedent under Section 68 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which we seek to tender as Exhibit in a lawsuit.

“We, as lawyers representing the constituents, previously wrote a letter expressing the intentions of the said constituents. A copy of the said letter dated October 2025, to the said legislator, is enclosed/attached.”

The letter was copied to the Deputy Speaker, as well as the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Following the lawsuit filed against Chinda’s candidacy in the 2027 election, a group, the Centre for Constitutional Governance and Electoral Integrity, CCGEI, had, in a statement, declared that the Rivers lawmaker had already resigned as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives before participating in the APC governorship process and had not taken part in any PDP-related activities since then

.

https://dailypost.ng/2026/05/28/speaker-asked-to-produce-evidence-of-chindas-defection-to-apc-resignation-as-minority-leader/#google_vignette

Mr Nobody can clinch any political position this year, not because of rigorous campaign but because of the rascality of the people already in the system. APC will end up not fielding candidates in some positions if oppositions so their home work very properly.

Fubara is fighting in proxy, wise man.

If the rat will not eat the corn, he will rather waste it. If I go down, we all go down.

Wike the almight law man...no see this loop hole?

Bobloco:
Speaker asked to produce evidence of Chinda’s defection to APC, resignation as Minority Leader


The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbass, has been asked to produce records of proceedings in the Green Chamber to show that a letter announcing Kingsley Chinda’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and resignation as Minority Leader, was read on the floor of the House.


The request was made by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, who recently filed a lawsuit asking an Abuja Federal High Court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising Chinda as a governorship candidate of the APC.

Chinda, an ally of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike, emerged the governorship candidate of the APC in the May 21, 2026, primary election, following the last-minute withdrawal of other contestants – incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly.


However, the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, whose members include indigenes of Chinda’s Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, approached an Abuja Federal High Court seeking to stop him from taking part in the 2027 poll.

The plaintiff argued that the lawmaker’s defection was inconsistent with the provisions of Section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and pronouncements of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the defection of legislators.


To back up the claim that Chinda’s defection did not follow due process, the plaintiff has requested the Speaker of the House of Representatives to produce evidence that a letter notifying the House of the development was read on the floor during plenary.

The request was made via a letter, dated May 26, 2027, signed by Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq., Administrative Secretary,

Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners.


The letter read: “Request brought pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011: Request for the Hansard and Votes of Proceedings and Order Paper of each day of plenary sessions of the House of Representatives, National Assembly, during the month of March and April, 2026, or any other date to ascertain whether the records can confirm the date on which the Rt. Hon. Speaker or any other presiding officer of the House of Representatives read the official letter of resignation of Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda to confirm cessation of his membership of the PDP and also to confirm his resignation as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, National Assembly.

“We write on behalf of some of the 500,000 registered constituents of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, currently represented by Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda.

“We write to request a formal letter of response to the above-named subject-matter.


“This letter that we are requesting is a condition precedent under Section 68 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which we seek to tender as Exhibit in a lawsuit.

“We, as lawyers representing the constituents, previously wrote a letter expressing the intentions of the said constituents. A copy of the said letter dated October 2025, to the said legislator, is enclosed/attached.”

The letter was copied to the Deputy Speaker, as well as the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Following the lawsuit filed against Chinda’s candidacy in the 2027 election, a group, the Centre for Constitutional Governance and Electoral Integrity, CCGEI, had, in a statement, declared that the Rivers lawmaker had already resigned as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives before participating in the APC governorship process and had not taken part in any PDP-related activities since then


https://dailypost.ng/2026/05/28/speaker-asked-to-produce-evidence-of-chindas-defection-to-apc-resignation-as-minority-leader/#google_vignette

Waste of time, they have put aside 5 billion Naira for court processes, from The High, to The Supreme Court.

Javid13:
Wike the almight law man...no see this loop hole?

Their fate can be likened to eating your cake and having it.
Chinda wanted to retain his position as house minority leader at the same time being the Apc governorship candidate.
However nothing will come out of this considering the judiciary in existence.

lecowas:
Fubara is fighting in proxy, wise man.

If the rat will not eat the corn, he will rather waste it. If I go down, we all go down.

See Una, as dey just dey use una?

He will bring out his resignation letter of 5 months ago from his local government, subsequently show u his APC registration of 5 months ago, then u will understand why dey say politics is a very dirty game.

He is just like his Oga Nyesom Wike, an APC Man in Pdp clothing, No honor amongst thieves.

lol. The law only requires him to resign from PDP before joining another party. Announcing his resignation on the floor of the house or not doesn’t affect his ability to join another party. That is just parliamentary procedure and nothing else.

Once there is an evidence that he submitted his resignation letter to the ward chairman, he’s good. All others are procedural.

seunmsg:
lol. The law only requires him to resign from PDP before joining another party. Announcing his resignation on the floor of the house or not doesn’t affect his ability to join another party. That is just parliamentary procedure and nothing else.

Once there is an evidence that he submitted his resignation letter to the ward chairman, he’s good. All others are procedural.

Ward Chairman that has already received N20 million to commence promotional campaign in the wards, the next governor of Rivers State is on his way.

The good times are here again.

Burob:
See Una, as dey just dey use una?

He will bring out his resignation letter of 5 months ago from his local government, subsequently show u his APC registration of 5 months ago, then u will understand why dey say politics is a very dirty game.

He is just like his Oga Nyesom Wike, an APC Man in Pdp clothing, No honor amongst thieves.

First off, no need to personalize it with "una".

So he resigned yet remained the minority leader of the opposition while being a member of the APC?

Wahala no dey finish particularly for the wicked and selfish folks

Burob:
Waste of time, they have put aside 5 billion Naira for court processes, from The High, to The Supreme Court.

Sorry. You cannot buy constitutional breach. If the man did not resign APC has no candidate in Rivers. The supposed next in line did not also resign before the primaries. Even that one withdrew from the race officially.

lecowas:
First off, no need to personalize it with "una".

So he resigned yet remained the minority leader of the opposition while being a member of the APC?

And how’s that a ground for disqualifying him from the election? If opposition members refused to remove him as their leader, how’s that your problem?

seunmsg:
And how’s that a ground for disqualifying him from the election? If opposition members refused to remove him as their leader, how’s that your problem?

Not my problem. Just having a discussion. Although I'm a little bit surprised why you seem to keep taking things personally, you aren't like this before. Can we have a discussion without "you" "your" "I" or "me"?

Dreal1247:
Mr Nobody can clinch any political position this year, not because of rigorous campaign but because of the rascality of the people already in the system. APC will end up not fielding candidates in some positions if oppositions so their home work very properly.

and who owns d court....have u forgotten about Hope Uzodimma case?

lecowas:
Not my problem. Just having a discussion. Although I'm a little bit surprised why you seem to keep taking things personally, you aren't like this before. Can we have a discussion with "you" "your" "I" or "me"?

In all fairness, there is no case here. The plaintiffs have no locus. Only APC can say whether he is a member or not, besides even PDP won't deny that he has resigned

Abeg where is Chidi Lloyd self, wet use mace break person head for RSHA that year 🤣

Akpakomiza2:
In all fairness, there is no case here. The plaintiffs have no locus. Only APC can say whether he is a member or not, besides even PDP won't deny that he has resigned

Yeah that's a good point.

Validated:
Sorry. You cannot buy constitutional breach. If the man did not resign APC has no candidate in Rivers. The supposed next in line did not also resign before the primaries. Even that one withdrew from the race officially.

Validated Guy that na APC problem o, if they like make dey no participate for the whole general election na their problem be that.