Kingsley Chinda resigned as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announcing the move during plenary on Tuesday.
The timing gave the switch immediate political weight. Lawmakers had just returned from a four-week recess that sent them back to their constituencies for party primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections, and Chinda’s exit removed one of the House’s principal opposition leaders at the start of that resumed sitting.
In his resignation letter, Chinda said he was stepping down from the post with effect from 23 April 2026. He said it had been an honour to serve in the role, that he remained fully committed to his duties as a member of the House, and that he would continue to support the legislature in every way possible.
The formal announcement also settled weeks of speculation around his political future, but it came after Chinda had already participated in the APC governorship primary in Rivers State. That sequence mattered. It showed the move was not a sudden break, even if the House had not received a public notice before the recess ended and plenary resumed.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi said Chinda had duly notified the leadership before lawmakers went on recess, while the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP faction aligned with Nyesom Wike said Chinda had left the party before buying the APC governorship nomination form and entering its primary process. What remains unclear is the next formal step in Rivers politics for Chinda now that his resignation and defection are no longer just rumors but a matter of record.
