Chinda’s Defection: Court Orders INEC To Produce Primary Documents

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to produce documents relating to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Rivers State.

The order followed an application by the plaintiff, Samuel Amatonjie, who is challenging the eligibility of the APC governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda.

Amatonjie is seeking certified true copies of the APC membership register submitted to INEC on April 20, 2026, as well as the party’s letter notifying the commission of its planned primaries.

The court also issued a subpoena directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk to the National Assembly to produce certified copies of the House Hansard covering April to June 2, 2026.

The suit questions Chinda’s eligibility following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

Amatonjie wants the court to interpret Sections 68 and 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution and determine whether Chinda could be recognised as having validly defected to the APC as of May 9, 2026, when he was screened and declared the party’s governorship candidate.

When the matter came up on Wednesday, the plaintiff explained the documents’ relevance, after which Justice Muhammed Turaki granted the applications.

Counsel to the PDP, Paul Daudu (SAN), and Chinda’s lawyer, Dike Udenna, complained that they were served the plaintiff’s response to their preliminary objection late, and asked for time to study it.

Justice Turaki directed the parties to file and exchange all necessary processes and adjourned the case until December 10, 2026, for hearing.

Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, Daudu explained the reason for the adjournment.

“The reason for the adjournment is that we have filed an objection of jurisdiction, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear this matter, which we had filed since 29th of September. But it was only yesterday that we were served with his response to our objection in jurisdiction.

“And we are entitled to almost seven days to respond. So, we want to take our time, study what he has filed and file our response,” he said.

Amatonjie said the subpoenas were part of efforts to obtain documents crucial to his case.

“We applied to the court, to my Lord, for a subpoena to be issued on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to produce certain documents, and also a subpoena to be issued on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk to the National Assembly for them also to produce certain documents,” he said.