The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, seeking the declaration of the seat of the House Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, as vacant over alleged constitutional violations.
The petition, dated June 8, 2026, was submitted through Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, who represents Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency in Rivers State, and was made available to journalists on Monday.
Signed by ALDRAP’s Administrative Secretary, Jesse Williams Amuga, the petition stated that the association was acting on behalf of constituents of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, represented by Chinda.
The group argued that the Speaker has the constitutional authority to declare a legislative seat vacant, citing the Supreme Court judgment in Oloyo v. Alege, Speaker of the Bendel State House of Assembly (1983) as legal precedent.
ALDRAP urged Abbas to immediately declare Chinda’s seat vacant and notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election.
According to the petition, the request is based on two major allegations.
First, the association claimed that Chinda failed to meet the constitutional requirement regarding attendance at House plenary sessions. It relied on Section 63 of the 1999 Constitution, alleging that the lawmaker had not attained the prescribed attendance threshold since the inauguration of the current National Assembly in June 2023.
Secondly, ALDRAP alleged that Chinda resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group referenced a resignation letter dated April 23, 2026, which it said was read on the floor of the House during plenary on June 2, 2026.
It contended that the alleged defection contravenes Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution and is inconsistent with a Supreme Court judgment delivered on February 28, 2025.
The association therefore called on the Speaker to invoke the relevant constitutional provisions relating to party defections and vacant legislative seats.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Chinda nor the leadership of the House of Representatives had responded to the allegations contained in the petition.
The development comes amid growing debate over the increasing rate of political defections in Nigeria, where elected officials at various levels of government have frequently switched political parties during their tenure.
The issue has continued to generate legal and political controversy, particularly over whether electoral mandates belong to individual politicians or the political parties on whose platforms they were elected.
While advocates of strict enforcement of anti-defection provisions argue that lawmakers who change parties should forfeit their seats, others maintain that freedom of association remains a constitutional right, especially in cases involving internal crises within political parties.
The petition against Chinda is expected to further test the interpretation and application of constitutional provisions governing party defections and legislative mandates.
Observers say any decision by the Speaker could have far-reaching implications for future defection-related disputes within the National Assembly and Nigeria’s broader democratic process.
Additional report by Eye Reporters
