“It is organized crime. Period!” – Odinkalu slams Chinda’s defection to APC

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has described the defection of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress as politically questionable and procedurally flawed.

Odinkalu, in a post on X on Tuesday, rejected any attempt to legitimize the move, insisting that the circumstances surrounding it cannot be justified, even if tested in court.

“It is organized crime. Period!” he wrote, while criticizing the sequence of events leading to Chinda’s exit from the opposition party.

The controversy followed a formal announcement on the floor of the House of Representatives by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who read a letter notifying lawmakers of Chinda’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

The letter, however, was dated April 23, 2026, a detail that has fueled further scrutiny over the timing and process of the defection.

Odinkalu also pointed to the political timeline, noting that Chinda had already been selected as the APC governorship candidate for Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections while still serving as Minority Leader under the PDP platform.

“Last month, while still the Minority Leader of the House, Chinda was selected to be the candidate of the ruling APC for governorship of Rivers State,” Odinkalu said.

He questioned the legality and sequencing of the process, suggesting that attempts could be made to validate it through the courts, but insisting such efforts would not change the underlying concerns.

“I am sure they have lined up their fully owned judges to make this look kosher with a suitable court order,” he wrote, adding that no judicial backing could sanitise the development.

The development has already triggered legal action challenging whether the defection followed due process, with arguments centred on the timing and validity of the notification letter.

Following the announcement, Chinda resigned his position as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Lawmakers are now expected to begin the process of selecting a replacement for the role.