The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Kingsley Chinda, an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Chinda, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, previously belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before emerging as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.

His emergence as the APC candidate attracted attention among political stakeholders, particularly because reports of his defection to the ruling party had not received widespread publicity.

The development also drew scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision to restore Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provisions address party membership registers and restrict political parties from presenting candidates who do not meet the stipulated membership registration requirements.

However, Chinda’s name appeared at number five on the 19-man list of candidates released by INEC on Saturday.

ADC Chieftain Questions Legality Of Chinda’s Candidacy

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has challenged the APC to clarify the legal status of Chinda’s candidacy.

Eze questioned whether Chinda’s name was included in the verified APC membership register submitted to INEC within the legally prescribed period.

He made the remarks in response to the Supreme Court’s recent judgment affirming the validity of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The ADC chieftain described the ruling as an important judicial reaffirmation that political parties must comply with the law when conducting their internal electoral processes.

Section 77(5) stipulates that only party members whose names appear in the membership register submitted to INEC within the required period may participate in the relevant party exercise. Section 77(6) also prohibits the use of a different membership register for such an exercise.

In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, Eze argued that the central issue was no longer political propaganda but compliance with the law.

His challenge places renewed attention on whether Chinda’s emergence as the APC candidate satisfies the membership registration requirements upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced October 20 as the date for the inauguration of its presidential campaign council ahead of the 2027 general election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The party’s National Chairman, Cleopas Zuwoghe, disclosed this on Saturday during a press conference in Abuja.

Zuwoghe explained that although the party had prepared the structure of the campaign council, it was consulting its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to finalise appointments.

He said the consultations were necessary to ensure that only individuals whose loyalty and commitment to the party were beyond doubt would be appointed to key positions in the campaign.

According to the chairman, the party has proposed holding a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on October 20, during which it plans to inaugurate the campaign council and present certificates of return to its candidates.

He said, “It is a sensitive election that we are going into. And we must check characters. It is not today you appoint one DG of your campaign. And in the middle of the campaign, you will hear that your DG is one leg in the NDC, one leg somewhere else.

“And will jeopardise the whole hope of this country. So they have to check and double-check.

“And to let you know, we have proposed a NEC meeting for the 20th of this month, and today is the 10th.

“So on the 20th of this month, we shall have a NEC meeting, and in that next meeting, what we intend to achieve is to formally inaugurate our presidential campaign council. Also, as a party, to give certificates of return.

“We’re the ones who give candidates tickets now. So we should be able to give our candidates certificates of return that these people are our party candidates. And we had intended to have a dinner with all our candidates to build synergy.”

Zuwoghe added that the inauguration would enable the party to intensify its campaign activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also dismissed suggestions that the NDC had been inactive, noting that party officials had already visited Sokoto and Kaduna states, with plans to visit Enugu State on October 15.

The chairman said the party would unveil its campaign strategy in the coming days, stressing that the NDC was focused on building a strong political institution with particular attention to youth development.

He added that the party remained committed to creating a platform capable of advancing its broader vision for Nigeria.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of embarking on an industrial action for political reasons.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶