ALDRAP Requests INEC to Disqualify Chinda as APC Candidate

The Association of Legislative Drafting Practitioners (ALDRAP) has formally requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Rivers State in the upcoming 2027 election. This request, articulated in a letter dated September 26, 2026, and signed by ALDRAP’s Executive Secretary, Tonye Clinton Jaja, is linked to a lawsuit filed by ALDRAP in the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/972/2026, challenges the legitimacy of the candidate selection process for Chinda and other APC candidates, alleging that the screening committees were biased due to personal relationships with Chinda. ALDRAP specifically contests the appointments of Abdul Mahmud and Mariana Ajibola as chairpersons of the screening and appeal committees.

The association claims these relationships compromise the impartiality of the selection process, violating the constitutional right to fair hearing under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution. Following a Supreme Court judgment on September 24, 2026, which reaffirmed INEC's authority regarding electoral processes, ALDRAP has sought an out-of-court resolution to the issues raised.