Months of political suspense surrounding the future of House of Representatives Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, came to an end on Tuesday as the lawmaker formally resigned his leadership position and defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chinda’s decision, announced on the floor of the House during plenary, finally resolved the uncertainty he had generated within political circles, particularly in Rivers State, where questions had persisted over his political allegiance following his emergence as the APC’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
The lawmaker, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, tendered his resignation as Minority Leader, bringing to a close his tenure as the opposition’s chief spokesman in the Green Chamber.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, read Chinda’s resignation letter and formally informed lawmakers of his defection as the House resumed legislative activities after a four-week recess.
In his farewell remarks, Chinda thanked members of the opposition caucus for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to serve as Minority Leader since 2023.
His resignation further weakens the opposition leadership in the House, coming after the earlier exits of Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Sani Madaki, who moved from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the APC, and Minority Whip Ali Isa, who also left the PDP for the ruling party. At present, Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) remains the only member of the minority leadership yet to defect.
Chinda’s political move was part of a broader wave of defections that swept through the House on Tuesday, with 13 lawmakers announcing their departure from their respective parties.
Among them was Alex Egbona of Cross River State, who left the APC for the PDP, citing internal fragmentation within the ruling party. Esosa Iyawe of Edo State defected from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), blaming unresolved grievances and alleged disregard for his concerns by party leaders.
Jonathan Gaza Gbewfi moved from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Labour Party (LP), while Shehu Dalhat Tafoki of Katsina State dumped the APC for the PDP. Another Katsina lawmaker, Sani Lawal, resigned from the APC but did not immediately disclose his next political destination.
A significant bloc of PDP lawmakers from Oyo State, including Adebayo Adepoju, Stanley Olajide, Ojo Sunday Makanjuola, Najeem Oyedeji, Folajimi Oyekunle and Abbas Adigun, alongside Auwalu Gwalabe from Bauchi State, defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), citing the lingering leadership crisis, legal disputes and internal divisions within the PDP.
Also, Benedict Etenabene left the Labour Party for the PDP, attributing his decision to the dissolution of elected party executives in Delta State by the national leadership of the LP.
The lawmakers, in separate letters read by the Speaker, largely blamed internal crises, leadership disputes and what they described as undemocratic practices within their former parties for their decisions to switch political camps.
For Chinda, however, Tuesday’s announcement ended months of intense speculation over a political future many observers believed had already shifted away from the PDP.
His formal exit is expected to further reshape the political landscape in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 governorship contest, where he is now positioned as one of the key contenders under the APC platform.
