Rivers: INEC Includes Chinda’s Name As APC Guber Candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday included the name of Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Chinda, a serving member of the House of Representatives representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency and a close political ally of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, emerged as the APC’s governorship candidate after the party’s primary held on May 21, 2026.

He was the sole aspirant in the exercise following the withdrawal of other contenders, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The primary returning officer, Bitrus Kwamoti, declared him the winner with 268,497 votes across the state’s 23 local government areas.

INEC had earlier published the particulars of governorship candidates in Rivers State in August 2026, listing Chinda among the 19 candidates cleared to contest. His continued inclusion on the commission’s list comes amid ongoing legal and political controversies surrounding his eligibility.

A Supreme Court judgment delivered in late September 2026, which upheld certain provisions of the Act, intensified the debate.

However, the Rivers APC has firmly rejected calls challenging Chinda’s candidacy, insisting that he registered as a party member 24 days before the primary, exceeding the 21-day threshold, and that the judgment does not invalidate his nomination.

Party officials have maintained that Chinda remains the authentic APC candidate and have urged supporters to focus on mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls. Legal challenges to his nomination are still pending in court, with one suit at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt adjourned to November 4, 2026.

Chinda’s emergence is widely viewed as part of the broader political realignments in Rivers State linked to Wike’s influence and the so-called Rainbow Coalition. His running mate is Major Jack, the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly.