Anxiety has gripped the 20 local government chairmen and hundreds of councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State following the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, which affirmed the nullification of the party’s congresses that produced the Tonye Okocha-led state executive.
Political observers and party stakeholders say the ruling may have far-reaching implications for the legitimacy of party nominations that emerged from processes supervised by the now-invalidated leadership, raising concerns over the future of elected APC officials at the local government level.
The Court of Appeal had upheld an earlier judgment of the Rivers State High Court delivered by Justice Sika Aprioku Obomanu, which nullified the ward, local government and state congresses conducted by the APC in Rivers State and subsequently invalidated the executive committees that emerged from the exercise.
The appellate court’s decision effectively stripped the Tonye Okocha-led executive of legal recognition, leaving the party in Rivers State without a judicially recognised leadership structure.
The development has triggered widespread speculation within political circles over whether the local government chairmen and councillors elected under the APC banner could face legal challenges to their mandates.
Although no court has directly pronounced on the validity of the local government elections, some legal analysts argue that questions could arise regarding the legitimacy of candidates nominated through structures that have now been declared unlawful.
“The concern is not necessarily about the election itself but about the processes that produced the candidates,” a Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner said. “If the executive that conducted or supervised the nomination process has been invalidated, interested parties may seek judicial interpretation on the implications for offices won under such circumstances.”
The APC won control of 20 out of the 23 local government councils during the controversial local government elections conducted in August 2025, elections that were boycotted by some opposition parties and challenged in several courts.
Since assuming office, the council chairmen have exercised administrative control over their respective local government areas, while councillors have continued legislative activities at the grassroots level.
However, the Court of Appeal judgment has reopened debates about the legal foundation of the party’s structures and the possible consequences for officials who emerged from processes linked to the invalidated congresses.
Party insiders say the uncertainty has heightened pressure on the Okocha-led faction to seek redress at the Supreme Court in a bid to overturn the appellate court ruling.
“The judgment has created serious concern among elected officials because no one knows what the next legal step may be,” a senior APC stakeholder said. “The expectation is that the matter will ultimately be taken to the Supreme Court for a final determination.”
The leadership tussle within the Rivers APC has been one of the defining features of the state’s political landscape since the fallout between former Governor Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara escalated into a wider political crisis.
The party has witnessed prolonged disputes over leadership, congresses and control of its structures, with multiple court cases arising from rival claims to legitimacy.
Political analysts believe the latest judgment could further complicate the APC’s preparations for future elections if the leadership vacuum created by the court decision is not resolved quickly.
While supporters of the judgment argue that it reinforces the rule of law and internal party democracy, others warn that prolonged litigation could weaken the party’s grassroots structures and deepen divisions among members.
The Atlantic Bell reports that for now, the 21 council chairmen and their councillors remain in office, but the uncertainty generated by the appellate court ruling has cast a shadow over their political future as attention shifts to whether the invalidated APC leadership will approach the Supreme Court for a final verdict.
