JUST IN: Court Reinstates Beke as Chairman of Rivers APC, Sacks Wike-Backed Caretaker Committee

A Rivers State High Court has reinstated Emeka Beke as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, effectively dismissing the seven-member Caretaker Committee led by Tony Okocha. This committee had been appointed by the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC).

In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Sika Aprioku upheld a suit brought by Sam Sam Etetegwung, Banarth Ezemoye, Ezekiel Ubom, and others, challenging the legitimacy of the Okocha-led caretaker committee. The court declared the committee’s appointment null and void, reaffirming the Beke-led executive as the rightful leadership of the APC in Rivers State.

The court issued a perpetual injunction, prohibiting the Okocha-led committee from interfering with the activities of the Beke-led executive until the end of its four-year term. Furthermore, the court directed the APC’s national leadership to recognize the Beke-led executive as the party’s legitimate authority in Rivers State, barring any further recognition of the caretaker committee.

Justice Aprioku also criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for supporting the dissolution of the democratically elected APC executive, warning political party leaders to adhere to their constitutions and avoid reckless actions.

The court found that the APC National Working Committee had violated both the party’s and Nigeria’s constitutions, failing to provide a valid justification for its actions. Consequently, the court awarded N300,000 in costs to the Beke-led APC executive.

Preliminary objections raised by the defendants, including an application for the joinder of additional parties, were dismissed by the court, which ruled that the appointment of the Okocha-led caretaker committee lacked any legal standing.