A fresh dispute has emerged within the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the reinstated leadership under Chief Emeka Beke declaring all nominations and decisions made by the rival faction led by Chief Tony Okocha invalid.
The development follows a Court of Appeal judgment that upheld an earlier High Court ruling nullifying the congresses that produced Okocha as state APC chairman.
The now-disputed primaries had produced Kingsley Chinda, a political ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as the APC governorship candidate after Governor Siminalayi Fubara withdrew from the race. Other candidates linked to Wike also secured tickets for National Assembly and State Assembly positions ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Monday, APC spokesman Darlington Nwauju, speaking for the Beke-led leadership, said the Appeal Court judgment effectively invalidated all actions taken by the Okocha faction between December 20, 2024, and May 29, 2026.
According to him, all nominations, communications, decisions and official representations made on behalf of the Rivers APC during the period have no legal standing.
The faction also called on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to withdraw certificates of return issued to candidates produced by the Okocha-led group in the 2025 local government elections and recognise candidates nominated by the Beke leadership.
Candidates backed by the Okocha faction currently occupy positions across local government councils in the state.
Nwauju argued that the court rulings had effectively invalidated the congresses conducted in November 2024 and stripped the Okocha faction of any authority to act on behalf of the party.
He warned the APC National Working Committee to review all primaries conducted under the disputed leadership, saying failure to do so could expose the party to legal challenges similar to those that affected the APC in Zamfara State.
The Beke faction further demanded that records of all activities, conventions and primaries conducted under the Okocha-led structure be removed from the party's official records, insisting that such actions were carried out by individuals who lacked legal authority to represent the APC in Rivers State.
The latest development is expected to intensify the leadership battle within the Rivers APC and could trigger fresh legal and political disputes over the party's candidates ahead of future elections.
