The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, has formally resigned from his leadership position and officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, announced Chinda’s resignation and defection during plenary on Tuesday as lawmakers resumed legislative activities following a four-week recess.
The break had enabled members of the National Assembly to return to their constituencies and participate in their respective political parties’ primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The announcement officially puts an end to weeks of speculation over Chinda’s political future after he took part in the APC governorship primary in Rivers State without publicly announcing his resignation from either the PDP or his position as Minority Leader.
Details contained in his resignation letter showed that he stepped down from the leadership position with effect from April 23, 2026.
In the letter addressed to the Speaker, Chinda expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as leader of the opposition caucus in the House.
“I formally tender my resignation from the position of Minority Leader of the House of Representatives with effect from the 23rd day of April 2026.
“It has been a profound honour and privilege to serve in this capacity, representing the collective interest of the minority caucus and contributing to the legislative work of the House.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to evolve under your leadership and alongside distinguished colleagues in advancing democratic governance and national development.
“I remain fully committed to my duties as a member of the House. I will continue to support the work of the legislature in every way possible,” the letter read.
Despite the significance of the development, Chinda was absent from Tuesday’s plenary session when the Speaker formally informed lawmakers of his resignation.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the Rivers politician participated in the APC governorship primary without making a formal declaration of his defection on the floor of the House.
The publication also contacted the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP faction aligned with Nyesom Wike, who confirmed that Chinda had resigned his membership of the PDP before purchasing the APC governorship nomination form and contesting in the party’s primary election.
However, before the House proceeded on recess, no official announcement of his resignation or defection had been made during plenary, sparking debates within political and legislative circles.
The controversy was heightened by the fact that Chinda occupied one of the highest-ranking opposition positions in the House of Representatives.
Critics questioned whether he could continue to serve as Minority Leader after leaving the party that nominated him for the role.
Responding to those concerns, House spokesperson Akin Rotimi had earlier clarified that Chinda properly notified the House leadership of his resignation before lawmakers embarked on recess.
According to Rotimi, the Speaker’s office received Chinda’s resignation letter, noting that there is no constitutional or parliamentary requirement mandating such letters to be read during plenary.
“Chinda actually sent his resignation. The leadership of the House and the office of the Speaker duly received that letter. The House has been on recess since,” Mr Rotimi said.
He further explained that while lawmakers often announce defections publicly during plenary, the practice is based largely on parliamentary convention rather than legal obligation.
“It is not a constitutional provision, it is not a provision of the Electoral Act, and it is not in the House rules that it is compulsory that a resignation letter from a party should be read on the floor,” he said.
Rotimi also noted that resignation from a political party is primarily an internal party matter handled at ward and local government levels.
He maintained that concerns regarding whether Chinda improperly retained the office of Minority Leader could only be fully addressed once the House resumed from recess.
Tuesday’s formal announcement has now settled the issue, confirming that Chinda has officially relinquished both his membership of the PDP and his role as leader of the opposition caucus in the House of Representatives.
His exit marks one of the most significant political realignments in the National Assembly ahead of the 2027 elections, given his influence within the PDP and his prominence as a leading opposition figure.
Attention is now expected to shift to the PDP caucus in the House as consultations begin on selecting a new Minority Leader to fill the vacancy created by his resignation.
Chinda joins a growing list of prominent politicians from Rivers State who have recently aligned with the APC as political realignments continue to reshape the state’s political landscape ahead of the next election cycle.
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