Odinkalu calls Chinda’s APC-PDP dual role ‘organized crime’

A former head of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has said that Kingsley Chinda’s role as House of Representatives Minority Leader while also being the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State shows what he calls the “Tinubu system”.

Mr Odinkalu shared his thoughts on his verified X account on Monday. He questioned how Mr Chinda could be the face of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House and also the APC governorship candidate.

“For the past three years, my good friend, Kingsley Chinda, has been the face of PDP in the Green Chamber,” Mr Odinkalu wrote.

“There is no record that he has resigned or been removed. As of today, he remains the Minority Leader of Nigeria’s House of Representatives.”

He pointed out that Mr Chinda is running for the APC nomination for the 2027 Rivers governorship election. He argued that this situation does not make sense politically.

“How one man can be both candidate of the ruling party and leader of the opposition in parliament must be one of the miracles of Nigeria’s civil rule under the Tinubu system,” he said.

“This is not politics. It is organized crime.”

Mr Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is from the same area as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He became the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election after winning the party’s primary election unopposed in May.

The APC stated he received 268,497 votes after other candidates, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara, withdrew from the race.

His nomination has caused public debate since he still holds the office of Minority Leader. This position is usually held by a member of the largest opposition party in the House.

PREMIUM TIMES reported last week that this situation raised questions about whether a lawmaker can be a member of one political party while running for office under another party.

Even though Mr Chinda took part in APC screening and got the party’s governorship ticket, there is no public record of him leaving the PDP or being removed from his minority leadership role.

This unusual political situation has caused worries among lawyers and political watchers about the trustworthiness of Nigeria’s party system and the enforcement of constitutional rules on defections.

The matter might go to court. A lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja is trying to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing Mr Chinda as the APC governorship candidate. It claims that his supposed defection raises legal and electoral issues.