The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbass, has been called upon to produce official records of proceedings in the Green Chamber confirming that a letter announcing the defection of Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda to the All Progressives Congress and his resignation from the minority leadership position was formally read on the floor of the House.

The request, made under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, was submitted by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, who are seeking documentary proof that the development was handled in line with due process.

The group recently filed a suit before an Abuja Federal High Court asking that the Independent National Electoral Commission be stopped from recognising Chinda as the APC’s governorship candidate in Rivers State. In their letter to the Speaker, signed by Administrative Secretary Jesse Williams Amuga and dated May 26, the association requested the Hansard, Votes of Proceedings, and Order Paper for each day of plenary sessions during the months of March and April 2026, or any other relevant date, to determine whether the Speaker or any presiding officer formally announced Chinda’s defection and resignation during plenary.

The request goes to the heart of the lawsuit’s central argument that Chinda’s switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling APC did not follow the constitutionally prescribed procedure for lawmakers seeking to change parties.

Chinda, a known ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, emerged as the APC’s Rivers State governorship candidate in the party’s primary election held on May 21, following the last-minute withdrawal of incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole, and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly. The controversy surrounding his defection stems from the fact that he continues to occupy the position of House Minority Leader, a role tied to his PDP membership, even as he now bears the APC’s governorship flag. Critics and legal practitioners have argued that this amounts to dual party membership in violation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution and a Supreme Court judgment of February 2025 which set out the steps required for a sitting legislator to validly defect.

Beyond demanding that INEC be barred from recognising Chinda’s candidacy, the plaintiffs have also asked the court to compel the Speaker to declare his legislative seat vacant and remove him from the position of Minority Leader. They further sought an order directing INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the resulting vacancy. The legal challenge has drawn comparisons to the 2018 defection of former Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio, who resigned the position upon leaving the PDP for the APC a precedent that Chinda’s critics say should have been followed in this instance.

The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners has maintained that its request is not politically motivated but is aimed at upholding constitutional order and the integrity of the legislative process.

With the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State shaping up as a high-stakes contest in the context of the ongoing political rivalry between Wike and Fubara, the legal battle over Chinda’s candidacy is expected to intensify in the weeks ahead, with the outcome of the Freedom of Information request likely to play a significant role in how the case before the Federal High Court unfolds.