“INEC Must Produce PDP, APC Membership Registers” — Court Grants Subpoenas In Suit Challenging Chinda’s Governorship Candidacy

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted applications for the issuance of subpoenas compelling the Speaker and Clerk of the House of Representatives, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to produce documents in a suit challenging the eligibility of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda.

The presiding judge, Justice Muhammed Turaki, granted the applications following submissions by the plaintiff, Samuel Amatonjie, a Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, who argued that the documents were necessary for the determination of the suit.

The subpoena directed at INEC seeks the production of the membership registers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC submitted to the commission by both political parties.

During the proceedings, counsel to the PDP, Paul Daudu, and counsel to Chinda, Dike Udenna, raised concerns over the late service of the plaintiff’s response to their preliminary objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

They consequently requested additional time to respond to the counter-affidavit.

After hearing the submissions of the parties, Justice Turaki directed counsel to file and exchange the necessary court processes and adjourned the matter until December 10, 2026, for hearing.

Amatonjie instituted the suit seeking the court’s interpretation of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, in relation to Chinda’s defection from the PDP to the APC.

Among the questions submitted for determination is whether, upon a combined interpretation of Sections 177(c) and 68 of the Constitution, Chinda validly defected from the PDP to the APC before being screened and declared the APC governorship candidate on May 9, 2026.

Other respondents in the suit include INEC, the PDP, the APC, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the National Assembly.

Speaking with journalists outside the courtroom, PDP counsel Daudu explained that the request for an adjournment was necessary to enable the defendants to respond adequately to the court processes served by the plaintiff.

Also speaking, Amatonjie described the suit as a matter of public interest, arguing that judicial clarification was necessary on the constitutional provisions governing political defections.

He maintained that the action was intended to safeguard constitutional compliance and prevent political developments from undermining the provisions of the nation’s supreme law.

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