The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has included All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda in its final list of candidates for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election, despite questions surrounding the validity of his nomination.
The commission released the final list on Saturday, October 10, alongside candidates contesting various positions in the 2027 general elections.
INEC reportedly based its decision on a Supreme Court judgement concerning compliance with statutory requirements for the submission and use of political parties’ membership registers during primaries, congresses and conventions.
The Supreme Court delivered the judgement on September 24, addressing issues surrounding the validity of party membership records and compliance with electoral requirements.
However, Chinda’s inclusion on the final list has raised questions over the consistency of INEC’s application of the court’s decision, particularly given allegations surrounding his defection to the APC to contest its governorship primary.
The development has drawn comparisons with the exclusion of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship hopefuls Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu, who were reportedly disqualified over similar allegations relating to party membership and nomination procedures.
Meanwhile, INEC also omitted the governorship candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano and Nasarawa states from the final list.
In Kano, former Deputy Governor Aminu Abdulsalam, who defected from the APC, emerged as the NDC’s governorship candidate in May.
Similarly, Musa Shugaba-Abdulahi secured the NDC’s governorship ticket in Nasarawa State.
