Chinda resigns as House Minority Leader

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, has formally resigned from his position, bringing an end to his tenure as the leader of the opposition caucus in the green chamber. Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, read Chinda’s resignation letter during plenary on Tuesday. In the letter, dated April 23, 2026, Chinda stated that he was stepping down as Minority Leader with immediate effect. “I write to formally tender my resignation from the position of Minority Leader of the House of Representatives with effect from the date herein, being the 23rd day of April 2026,” the letter read. “It has been a profound honor and privilege to serve in this capacity, representing the collective interest of the minority caucus and contributing to the legislative work of the House,” he stated. Chinda also thanked the Speaker and his colleagues for their unwavering support during his tenure. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked under your leadership and alongside distinguished colleagues in advancing democratic governance and national development,” he said. The Rivers State lawmaker, however, assured the House that he would continue to discharge his core responsibilities as a member of the legislature. “I remain fully committed to my duties as a member of the House and will continue to support the work of the legislature in every way possible,” he added. Notably, the resignation letter made no reference to any change of political party, despite widespread media reports linking Chinda to a possible defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The development comes amid lingering political realignments in Rivers State and growing speculation over the future political platform of several federal lawmakers from the state. Daily Trust reports that Chinda appeared before the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee in Abuja on May 10, 2026, a development that first fueled intense speculation about his departure from the PDP. This move effectively paved the way for Chinda’s emergence as a key contender for the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State, following the strategic withdrawal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole, and George Kelly from the race.