Electoral Act: Wike’s Rainbow Coalition ‘Unshaken’ As APC Tells INEC To Enforce Apex Court Verdict

By James Kwen Abuja and Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

The Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition in Rivers State has dismissed concerns over the possible impact of the Supreme Court judgment on the Electoral Act 2026 on its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that they have met all statutory requirements to qualify for the polls.

The coalition’s position comes as the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately enforce the Supreme Court judgment affirming the validity of provisions requiring political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting primaries, congresses and conventions.

The coalition’s spokesman in Rivers State, Hon. Chibike Ikenga, gave the assurance on Thursday while speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Ikenga, who is also the APC Publicity Secretary in Rivers State, maintained that the coalition’s candidates, particularly its governorship candidate, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, had fulfilled all the conditions required to participate in the election.

“What is wrong with our candidates? There is nothing wrong with our candidates. As I told you before, we are in support of INEC and they should go ahead and do what is constitutional.

“As far as we are concerned, we have met all the conditions that qualify our candidates, particularly our governorship candidate in Rivers State,” he said.

The APC, in a letter dated October 9, 2026, addressed to the INEC Chairman, called for the immediate enforcement of the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which reaffirmed the validity of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.

The letter was co-signed by the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, a statement signed by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said.

According to the APC, the judgment reinforces the statutory requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before conducting primaries, congresses and conventions.

The party stressed that only members whose names appear in the duly submitted registers are eligible to vote or be voted for during such internal party processes.

It urged INEC to verify compliance by all political parties and apply the appropriate statutory consequences wherever violations are established, without fear or favour.

The APC further maintained that credible elections depend on transparent internal democratic processes and strict adherence to the rule of law, urging the electoral umpire to act promptly to safeguard the integrity of the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, had indicated that political parties found to have violated the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act could face sanctions.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Thursday, Haruna said affected parties would not be permitted to substitute candidates whose nominations were invalidated as a result of non-compliance, stressing that parties should not benefit from violations of the law.

He added that the commission was expected to make a definitive pronouncement on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment by Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

In its September 24, 2026, judgment, the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.

The judgment has raised concerns over the eligibility of some prominent politicians whose nominations could be affected by questions surrounding compliance with the membership-register requirements.

Those reportedly facing uncertainty include the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda; the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Delta Central, Ovie Omo-Agege; former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke; and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei.

Others are former Inspector-General of Police and Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu; former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami; and Senator Saliu Mustapha in Kwara State.

The affected politicians have, however, dismissed reports suggesting that their candidacies are in jeopardy.