Court of Appeal Upholds Nullification of APC Congresses in Rivers State
The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has upheld a Rivers State High Court judgment that nullified the All Progressives Congress (APC) congresses which produced Chief Tony Okocha and his executive committee in Rivers State. This ruling affirms the earlier decision that invalidated the emergence of the leadership loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Appeal Court Affirms High Court Ruling
The appellate court, presided over by Justice Elfreda Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu, on Friday affirmed the December 20, 2024 judgment of Justice Obomanu of the Rivers State High Court. Justice Obomanu had ruled that the APC congresses conducted in the state, which produced Okocha and other executive committee members, were not valid. The sacked executives had approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the decision, but the appellate court upheld the earlier ruling.
Legal Implications for APC Leadership
Following the judgment, legal interpretations suggest that all actions, decisions, and representations made by the Tony Okocha-led executive between December 20, 2024, and the present may be rendered invalid. Political observers note that candidates presented by the party under the disputed leadership structure ahead of elections in the state could face uncertainty over their legitimacy.
Okocha Camp Insists No Threat to Exco Status
Reacting to the ruling, the APC leadership in Rivers State dismissed suggestions that the judgment had removed the current executive council. In a statement issued on Saturday, May 30, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, said the Court of Appeal decision was interlocutory in nature and did not dissolve the executive committee. “There is no threat to the status of the EXCO pending full trial. Our Lawyers will study the full judgment and advise on the next step,” Ikenga stated. He urged party members to remain calm, insisting that the matter had been referred back to the trial court for continuation of proceedings. “We advise party faithful to remain calm and not panic by the deliberate misrepresentation of the facts and circumstances of the judgement by those who lack in-depth knowledge of what transpired in the Court,” he added.
The ruling marks a fresh twist in the prolonged internal dispute within the APC in Rivers State, where factional battles have continued to shape the party’s structure and political direction ahead of future elections.
Wike-Led PDP Faction Suspends 24 Members
In a related development, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State aligned with Nyesom Wike announced the suspension of party elder Bode George and 23 other prominent members over allegations of anti-party conduct. The disciplinary action was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Kayode Ogunbiyi, chairman of the Lagos PDP Disciplinary Committee, and the committee's secretary, Desmond Agho.
