Fresh uncertainty has enveloped the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State following a Court of Appeal judgment that reaffirmed the leadership of Chief Emeka Beke and cast doubt on the validity of party primaries conducted under the Tony Okocha-led faction.
The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt upheld an earlier High Court ruling that nullified the congresses which produced Tony Okocha as the Rivers State APC Chairman.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu, affirmed the decision of Justice Godswill Obamanu of the Rivers State High Court, who had earlier invalidated the congresses conducted in November 2024.
Reacting to the verdict, the Beke-led faction declared that all nominations, communications, decisions and official actions undertaken by the Okocha-led leadership between December 20, 2024, and May 29, 2026, lack legal validity.
In a statement issued on Monday, the faction’s spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, argued that the Appeal Court judgment effectively nullified all actions carried out by officials whose authority had been voided by the courts.
He maintained that the judgment reinforced the rule of law and validated the earlier High Court decision that nullified the disputed congresses.
The faction further called on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to withdraw certificates of return issued to candidates produced by the Okocha-led executives during the 2025 local government elections and instead recognise candidates nominated by the Beke-led leadership.
Nwauju also urged the APC National Working Committee to review all primaries conducted under the disputed leadership structure to prevent legal complications similar to those experienced by the party in Zamfara State.
According to him, individuals who emerged from the invalidated congresses lack the legal authority to represent the party, insisting that all records and decisions linked to their activities should be expunged from APC records.
Legal practitioner Henry Ekine, commenting on the implications of the judgment, said the Appeal Court ruling effectively recognises the Emeka Beke-led executives as the authentic APC leadership in Rivers State.
He explained that since the congresses that produced the Okocha-led executives had been nullified, all actions taken under that leadership could also be rendered void.
“In law, you cannot place something on nothing. If the congress that produced the leadership is invalid, actions arising from that leadership may equally be invalid,” Ekine stated.
However, he noted that the Okocha faction retains the constitutional right to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.
The latest ruling adds another chapter to the prolonged leadership crisis within the Rivers APC, with both factions continuing to lay claim to control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Nwauju maintained that only a higher court can overturn the judgment sustained by the Court of Appeal, adding that the next legal steps may include either a court-ordered fresh congress or a dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims.
He insisted, however, that the November 2024 congresses have effectively been set aside unless revived through a fresh judicial pronouncement.
