PDP Members Emerge as APC Chairmanship Candidates in Rivers LG Polls

Tension and confusion have gripped the political landscape in Rivers State ahead of the local government elections scheduled for August 30, 2025, as several known members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been named as chairmanship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in various local government areas.

In what many observers have described as unprecedented, PDP members were returned as APC candidates in at least 12 out of the 23 local government areas following primaries held on Saturday. These LGAs include Asari Toru, Ikwerre, Khana, Tai, Degema, Bonny, Oyigbo, Omuma, Ogu/Bolo, Gokana, and Etche.

Among those confirmed to have retained their positions under the PDP are chairmanship candidates from Emohua, Port Harcourt City, and Obio/Akpor LGAs. The crossover of party members has sparked debate and raised questions about the credibility of the APC’s candidate selection process and the broader political strategy leading into the elections.

Adding to the uncertainty, several political parties—including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), and a faction of the APC—are considering boycotting the election altogether. This development follows the fallout from the October 5, 2024, local government elections, in which APP, with the backing of the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, secured 22 out of 23 LGAs. However, the Supreme Court later nullified the outcome on February 25, 2025, ruling that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to comply with the 90-day notice requirement stipulated in the Electoral Act.

Amid growing calls for clarity, ADC’s spokesman in the state, Chief Luckyman Egila, said the party has not yet reached a final decision on whether to participate in the upcoming polls, stating that stakeholders will soon meet to deliberate and determine their position.

Similarly, Hon. Darlington Nwauju, spokesman for the Chief Emeka Beke-led faction of the APC, said their participation depends on resolving internal party disputes and gaining proper recognition from RSIEC. Nwauju criticized the electoral body’s handling of party leadership validation and hinted at ongoing talks with the APC’s national leadership to prevent further fragmentation within the party.