The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and its governorship candidate, Kieghe Nature Dumale, have asked the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to disqualify the All Progressives Congress (APC) from participating in the February 6, 2027, Rivers State governorship election over alleged violations of electoral laws governing party membership registers and candidate nominations.

The suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/193/2026, names the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first defendant and the APC as the second defendant.

The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the ruling party is ineligible to field a governorship candidate in Rivers State. They also want the court to direct INEC to remove the APC and its candidate, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, from the list of parties eligible to contest the election.

In an 18-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the suit, Dumale alleged that the APC failed to comply with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 when it submitted its membership register and nominated Chinda as its governorship candidate.

The plaintiffs based their argument partly on a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment in an appeal involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party. They contend that the ruling reaffirmed the validity of Sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Electoral Act, which deal with political party membership registers and compliance requirements.
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According to the court documents, INEC had indicated that it would study the judgment and take steps to ensure compliance. The plaintiffs, however, accused the commission of failing to apply the relevant provisions consistently before publishing the final list of candidates for the Rivers governorship election.

The affidavit stated that the APC informed INEC on April 20, 2026, that its primaries for the 2027 general election would commence on May 15. The party also submitted its membership register to the electoral commission on the same date.

Dumale alleged that the APC membership register for Ward 3B in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, did not contain Chinda’s name when it was submitted to INEC.

According to the plaintiff, the register listed Ibrahim Haruna as the last person to register in the ward on February 8, 2026.

The court documents further alleged that Chinda registered as an APC member on April 27, 2026, after the party had submitted its membership register to INEC.

Chinda subsequently emerged as the APC governorship candidate after winning the party’s primary on May 21, 2026.

The plaintiffs argued that the alleged discrepancy between the membership register submitted to INEC and the documents used to nominate Chinda raised questions about the party’s compliance with the Electoral Act.

They also claimed that Chinda’s name appeared in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership register for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, which they attached to the court processes as an exhibit.

On the basis of these allegations, the PRP and Dumale are asking the court to declare the APC ineligible to field a candidate in the Rivers governorship election and compel INEC to remove the party and its nominee from the list of eligible contestants.

The suit is being pursued by a legal team led by Dr Doueyi Fiderikumo. As of the latest report, the court had not fixed a hearing date for the matter.

The case comes amid separate legal challenges to Chinda’s candidacy. Another suit before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt questions whether his defection from the PDP to the APC was completed in accordance with the Constitution before he participated in the party’s screening and primary. That separate matter has been scheduled for hearing on November 4, 2026.

The two cases raise distinct legal questions: the PRP suit challenges the APC’s compliance with statutory requirements governing party membership records and nominations, while the other suit focuses on the timing and validity of Chinda’s defection.

Neither suit, by itself, establishes that the APC or its candidate is disqualified. The allegations remain subject to judicial determination, and the court’s eventual decisions will determine the legal consequences for the party’s participation in the 2027 Rivers governorship election.

Nigeria’s opposition has raised concerns over an alleged plot to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into postponing the January 16, 2027 presidential election, warning against any attempt to alter the electoral timetable over the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council raised the alarm on Wednesday, October 28, through its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

Shaibu alleged that the council had received information suggesting that INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, could be summoned to the Presidential Villa and pressured to change the election date.

However, the council did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation, and there was no confirmed indication that such a meeting had been arranged or that the Presidency had formally initiated a process to postpone the election.

The ADC urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reject any attempt to alter the timetable for political reasons, insisting that Nigerians must be allowed to decide the country’s leadership through the ballot box.

“The election date belongs to Nigerians. It must not be rewritten behind closed doors at the Villa,” the campaign council said in its statement.

The opposition group argued that the scheduled poll would provide voters with an opportunity to assess the administration’s performance amid persistent concerns over the cost of living, declining purchasing power and economic hardship.

Shaibu warned that the Ebola outbreak must not be used as a pretext for postponing the election, while acknowledging the importance of protecting public health.

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He called on health authorities to continue containment efforts and urged INEC to put appropriate measures in place to protect voters, electoral officials and other election workers.

The ADC also called on domestic observers and international election monitors to scrutinise any proposal to change the election timetable. It maintained that any decision to alter the schedule should be made transparently and supported by credible, publicly available health evidence.

The controversy follows comments attributed to Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), who said there was no current public-health justification for postponing the 2027 general election because of the outbreak.

Adewole Adebayo, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has also cautioned against postponing the election or cancelling political campaigns because of Ebola concerns.

The allegations have added to growing political sensitivity surrounding preparations for the 2027 general election, particularly questions about electoral independence, public health and the need to maintain confidence in the democratic process.

INEC’s published election calendar lists January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and state House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.

As of the latest reports, the alleged plan to pressure INEC remained an opposition claim that had not been independently substantiated. Any decision concerning the election timetable would therefore need to be assessed against official announcements and verifiable evidence, rather than political allegations alone.