SHOCKING!! Nigeria's PDP Reps Member Appears Before APC Governorship Screening Committee in Abuja

Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, has appeared before the screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of preparations for the party’s governorship primaries ahead of the 2027 elections in Rivers State.

Chinda, who currently represents the Obio/Akpor federal constituency in the national assembly under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was screened by the APC panel on Saturday.

His participation in the ruling party’s screening process has intensified speculation that he may soon defect from the PDP, although he has not publicly announced any formal switch in allegiance.

The development is politically significant because Chinda has long been regarded as a close ally of Nyesom Wike, the influential former governor of Rivers State who now serves as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Since leaving office as governor in 2023, Wike has remained a dominant figure in Rivers politics despite ongoing tensions with his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Chinda is one of two prominent Wike associates who obtained APC governorship nomination forms for the 2027 race. The second is Dax George-Kelly, the director-general of the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).

However, questions have emerged over George-Kelly’s eligibility to contest while still occupying a federal appointment.

Earlier this year, the presidency, through the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), directed all political appointees interested in contesting the 2027 elections to resign from their positions on or before March 30, 2026.

Critics argue that failure to comply with the directive could create legal and constitutional complications for aspirants who remain in office while pursuing elective positions.

The APC governorship contest in Rivers is expected to attract national attention because of the state’s strategic political and economic importance as one of Nigeria’s major oil-producing states.

Apart from Chinda and George-Kelly, other notable aspirants on the APC platform include Governor Fubara himself and Tonye Cole, a businessman and former APC governorship candidate in the state.

The growing list of APC aspirants reflects the continuing political realignments in Rivers State, where rivalry between Wike and Fubara has reshaped alliances across party lines and deepened divisions within both the PDP and APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.