By Blessing Elo Oghene
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed November 4, 2026, to hear a suit challenging the nomination of Kingsley Ogundu Chinda as the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate for the 2027 Rivers State election.
The suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/3/2026, was instituted by Samuel Amatonjie against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; Chinda; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the APC; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and the Clerk of the House.
Amatonjie is challenging Chinda’s eligibility to participate in the APC governorship primary, arguing that his defection from the PDP to the APC was allegedly not in accordance with Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, before the party’s screening and primary.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, the applicant told the court that he had been served with processes filed by some of the defendants on September 28.
He subsequently requested additional time to study the processes and respond to the legal issues raised.
The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Turaki, after hearing the submissions, adjourned the matter until November 4, 2026, for hearing.
Speaking outside the courtroom, Amatonjie said the suit was filed as a public interest litigation seeking an interpretation of Section 68 of the Constitution concerning defection by a member of the National Assembly.
He also stated that Chinda’s resignation and defection letter was read on the floor of the House of Representatives by the Speaker on June 2, 2026.
Amatonjie is asking the court to disqualify Chinda from participating in the 2027 Rivers State governorship election if the reliefs sought in the suit are granted.
Counsel for the PDP, Paul Daudu, SAN, confirmed that the matter was adjourned because the plaintiff required time to respond to processes filed by the defendants.
Daudu said the case had been scheduled for hearing but that the plaintiff requested an adjournment to enable him to respond to processes filed by the first, second and third defendants.
He further stated that the plaintiff’s position was that Chinda did not resign from his position as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives at the appropriate time.
Counsel for Chinda, Dike Udenna, also confirmed the adjournment, saying the plaintiff had requested time to respond to the preliminary objections and counter-affidavits filed by the defendants.
The court subsequently fixed November 4, 2026, for further proceedings.
