The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, a move that was formally announced on the floor of the House on Tuesday.
Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, read Chinda’s defection letter during plenary, informing lawmakers of the Rivers State legislator’s decision to leave the opposition party for the ruling APC.
The letter conveying the defection was dated April 23, 2026.
Shortly after the announcement, Chinda relinquished his position as Minority Leader, bringing an end to his tenure as the leader of the opposition caucus in the Green Chamber.
The development comes amid ongoing political realignments in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Chinda, who is regarded as a close ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, recently emerged as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
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His emergence followed the withdrawal of other contenders, including Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole and George Kelly, from the race.
Although Chinda stood unopposed in the contest, party members reportedly turned out in large numbers to endorse his candidacy through an affirmation process.
His defection is expected to further reshape the political landscape in Rivers State and could have significant implications for party dynamics both within the state and at the national level as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.