Defection Drama: Odinkalu Sparks Controversy With ‘Organized Crime’ Claim Against Chinda

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has strongly criticised the defection of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the development as “organised crime.”....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Chinda’s defection was formally announced on Tuesday during plenary after the Speaker of the House of Representatives read a letter notifying lawmakers of his decision to leave the PDP for the APC.

According to the Speaker, the notification letter was dated April 23, 2026, officially confirming weeks of speculation about the Rivers State lawmaker’s political future.

Reacting to the development in a post on his X account, Odinkalu argued that Chinda had already emerged as the APC’s governorship candidate for Rivers State while still serving as Minority Leader under the PDP platform.

He contended that although efforts may be made to legitimise the situation through judicial rulings, no court decision could erase what he considers the troubling circumstances surrounding the lawmaker’s switch to the ruling party.

Odinkalu wrote:

“Today, the Speaker of the House of Representatives announced the defection of my good friend, Kingsley Chinda, from the PDP to the APC.

“It is being claimed that he also ceases to be the Minority Leader of the House. The notification letter was backdated to April 23.

“Last month, while still serving as Minority Leader, Chinda was selected as the governorship candidate of the ruling APC for the 2027 Rivers State election.

“I am sure they have lined up their fully owned judges to make this appear legitimate through a court order. But no amount of court washing can sanitise this. It is organised crime. Period.”