…Clears Lulu-Briggs, Chinda, Pidomson, 16 others for governorship race

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 19 candidates to contest the 2027 Rivers State governorship election, according to its final list of candidates.

This has cleared doubts that some frontline contestants, such as Kingsley Chinda of the APC and Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the NDC, among others, may have been disqualified by the recent Supreme Court ruling on sections of the Electoral Act.

The list features candidates from political parties, including Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chinda Kingsley Ogundu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Gabriel Pidomson Baritulem of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Others cleared by the electoral commission are Chibuzor Israel Rain of the Action Alliance (AA), West Ivy of the Action Alliance of Nigeria (AAN), Lawson Anyanate Angel of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), and Idoniboye-Obu Omangima of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The remaining candidates include Whyte Churchill Dagogo of the Action Peoples Movement (APM), Atata Okechukwu Kenneth of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Benjamin Abednego Oli of the Boot Party (BP), Warigbani Ezekiel Zebulun of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), and Boms Chima Ernest of the Labour Party (LP).

Also on the list are Opusonju Silva of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Pepple Wari Dienye of the National Network for Progressive People (NNPP), Minaibim Harry of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Ejekwu Samuel Soni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kieghe Nature Dumale of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Ben-Gurion J. Peter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Hart Victor Godwin of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The full list of the 19 governorship candidates and their political parties is as follows:

  1. Chibuzor Israel Rain — Action Alliance (AA)
  2. West Ivy — Action Alliance of Nigeria (AAN)
  3. Gabriel Pidomson Baritulem — African Democratic Congress (ADC)
  4. Lawson Anyanate Angel — Action Democratic Party (ADP)
  5. Chinda Kingsley Ogundu — All Progressives Congress (APC)
  6. Idoniboye-Obu Omangima — All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
  7. Whyte Churchill Dagogo — Action Peoples Movement (APM)
  8. Atata Okechukwu Kenneth — Action Peoples Party (APP)
  9. Benjamin Abednego Oli — Boot Party (BP)
  10. Warigbani Ezekiel Zebulun — Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA)
  11. Boms Chima Ernest — Labour Party (LP)
  12. Dumo Lulu-Briggs — Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)
  13. Opusonju Silva — National Democratic Party (NDP)
  14. Pepple Wari Dienye — National Network for Progressive People (NNPP)
  15. Minaibim Harry — National Rescue Movement (NRM)
  16. Ejekwu Samuel Soni — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
  17. Kieghe Nature Dumale — People’s Redemption Party (PRP)
  18. Ben-Gurion J. Peter — Social Democratic Party (SDP)
  19. Hart Victor Godwin — Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)

The final list was signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oran-Anthony, and posted on the INEC website on Saturday evening.

The publication of the list marks a significant step in preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State, as political parties and their candidates continue positioning themselves for the contest.