A rights group has called on the opposition against the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, to back their claims with clear evidence showing he remained active in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after April 2, 2026.

The group said Chinda had already resigned as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives before participating in the APC governorship process and had not taken part in any PDP-related activities since then.

The call by the Centre for Constitutional Governance and Electoral Integrity, CCGEI, in Rivers State, follows a case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja,is seeking an order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Chinda’s participation in the APC governorship primary.

In a statement, Ibrahim Danjuma, CCGEI Executive Director, dismissed the case as unfounded and politically motivated.

Danjuma further challenged the petitioners to produce verifiable proof that Chinda attended PDP meetings, acted in a PDP capacity, or continued as Minority Leader after April 2, 2026.

He said, “The process has been concluded. Hon. Kingsley Chinda is the duly emerged governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers state,” the statement reads.

“Those raising allegations of defection irregularities should present one single proof anywhere in Nigeria showing that after April 2, 2026, Hon. Chinda attended any PDP function, represented the PDP in any capacity, or acted as minority leader in the House of Representatives.”

According to him, the court action is intended to misrepresent a concluded political process, and he urged the court to strike out the suit for lacking merit.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ibrahim Wala, has alleged that the party’s presidential primary election was marred by intimidation, vote buying and other irregularities.

DAILY POST reports that Wala, a loyalist to one of the top ADC presidential aspirants, Rotimi Amaechi, monitored the exercise in Gombe State.

Amaechi had on Tuesday, rejected the results of the polls, saying that the process lacked transparency and fairness as earlier promised by the opposition party.

Backing Amaechi’s claim, Wala, in a post on his official Facebook page, Wednesday described the process as “brazen, shameless auction that betrayed every value the ADC promised to uphold.”

Comrade Wala alleged that voters were intimidated and disenfranchised, stressing that the outcome of the election was determined in a hotel room.

The ADC chieftain called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is currently leading, to immediately dissociate himself from what he described as “dirty, concocted primary election results.”

He claimed to have “undisputed evidence of irregularities and voter disenfranchisement” that unfolded under his watch in Gombe State.

“I was personally approached by an agent offering to take me to the committee leadership’s hotel room to secure whatever I needed.

“This hotel room was treated exactly like a clandestine situation room where the state party leadership retired after their field day to finish their manipulative work behind closed doors”, he alleged.

A professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Ibadan, Ibrahim Uthman, has enjoined politicians across the country not to sacrifice the lives of Nigerians for their political ambitions. 

Uthman, who is also the Chief Imam of the university, enjoined political office holders at all levels to do whatever they can to halt the alarming rate of kidnapping and other social problems in the country. 

The don made the call shortly after he led the Muslim congregation to observe the two obligatory Rakat in commemoration of this year’s Eid Kabir festival on Wednesday. 

DAILY POST reports that the Eid Kabir festival for the 1447 Hijrah calendar is being observed across the globe today. 

Uthman, while addressing journalists shortly after the prayer, advised those aspiring for political offices in 2027 to put more effort into solving the current challenges facing the country. 

He said all hands must be put on deck to solve the problems facing the country, describing the level of insecurity in the country as worrisome and unfortunate. 

He then appealed to all the political office holders and those aspiring for political offices in the next general elections not to sacrifice Nigerians for political office. 

Uthman advised Nigerians to be patient and continue to contribute their quota to the development of the country. 

He said, “I am calling on all the governors, the President, Senators and all political office holders, all those seeking political offices, to do whatever you can do to curb insecurity in the country. 

“I am appealing to you not to sacrifice the lives of Nigerians for political offices. We should all realise that it is Allah that put people in positions. Do not take revenge. 

“I want all Nigerians to be patient. We should endure. Hardship is not an excuse for criminality. Allah told us to be patient. God said that He will test us”.