The political crisis within the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a dramatic turn following the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Court of Appeal judgment affirming the nullification of the congresses that produced the Tony Okocha-led executive.
The development has triggered fresh controversy over the status of candidates who emerged from the party’s recently concluded direct primaries, with the reinstated Emeka Beke-led executive declaring all nominations and decisions made under the Okocha leadership null and void.
The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, had upheld an earlier judgment of the Rivers State High Court which nullified the congresses that produced Chief Tony Okocha as chairman of the party in the state.
Riding on the appellate court’s decision, the Beke faction on Monday announced that all actions, communications, nominations and representations carried out by the Okocha-led executive between December 20, 2024 and May 29, 2026 lacked legal foundation.
In a statement issued by its spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, the faction argued that the Okocha-led executive had no lawful authority to act on behalf of the APC in Rivers State during the period under review.
The declaration directly affects the party’s recent primaries, which produced House of Representatives member Kingsley Chinda, widely regarded as a political ally of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, as the APC governorship candidate after Governor Siminalayi Fubara withdrew from the race. Several other politicians believed to be aligned with Wike also emerged as candidates for National Assembly and State Assembly positions.
Nwauju maintained that all nominations, communications, documentation and decisions undertaken under the Okocha-led executive were “illegal, null, void and of no effect.”
The faction further called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to urgently review the outcome of the primaries and expunge all records associated with the disputed leadership, warning that failure to act could expose the party to a crisis similar to the one that cost the APC electoral victories in Zamfara State following legal disputes over its primaries.
It also urged the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to withdraw certificates of return issued to local government chairmen and councillors elected under the platform of the Okocha-led faction during the August 2025 local government elections and replace them with candidates submitted by the Beke executive.
However, the position of the Beke faction has been strongly contested by supporters of the Okocha-led leadership, who insist that the Court of Appeal judgment has no effect on candidates produced through the party’s direct primary system.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Cyril Hart, argued that APC nomination forms do not require endorsement by state party executives and are instead validated by party members who meet prescribed requirements, including evidence of dues payment.
According to him, no member of the Okocha-led executive issued, endorsed or validated nomination forms used for the primaries, making it impossible for the judgment to invalidate candidates who emerged through the process.
“As you are aware, the APC adopted direct primaries for the election of its candidates for the 2027 general elections. The APC nomination form has no provision for party executive endorsement or signing. Therefore, the judgment and any interpretation of it, howsoever, have no effect on any APC candidate for any election,” Hart stated.
The argument has, however, generated intense debate within political circles and on social media.
Some commentators contend that while nomination forms may not require executive signatures, questions remain over whether a leadership structure subsequently declared invalid could lawfully organise, supervise, communicate or submit the outcomes of party primaries.
One commentator, Victor Okuny, questioned the legal basis upon which party processes conducted under the disputed executive could remain completely insulated from the judgment.
Others believe the ruling could embolden aggrieved aspirants who lost in the primaries to challenge the legitimacy of the exercise in court.
Political analysts say the controversy is far from over and may eventually be resolved only through further judicial interpretation or intervention by the national leadership of the APC.
For now, the appellate court ruling has opened a new front in the Rivers APC’s long-running leadership battle, leaving the party grappling with competing claims over authority, candidate legitimacy and control of its political structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
