BREAKING: Rivers APC Leadership Nullifies Primaries After Court Ruling

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State under Chief Emeka Beke has declared all activities, nominations and decisions carried out by the Tony Okocha-led faction invalid following a recent Court of Appeal judgment that affirmed Beke as the authentic chairman of the party in the state.

The development comes days after the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt upheld an earlier judgment that recognized Beke as the lawful chairman of the Rivers APC and nullified the congresses that brought Okocha and his executive committee into office.

Reacting to the judgment, the Beke-led leadership said every action taken by the rival faction between December 20, 2024, and May 29, 2026, lacks legal backing and cannot stand.

In a statement released by the party’s spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, the leadership insisted that all political decisions, nominations, official correspondences and documents issued during the period by the Okocha faction are now invalid.

According to the statement, any representation made on behalf of the Rivers APC under the disputed leadership structure has no legal effect following the court ruling.

The declaration is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the party in Rivers State, particularly regarding candidates and political processes conducted under the Okocha-led executive.

Several governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly aspirants who emerged through exercises supervised by the faction may now face uncertainty over their political future as the legitimacy of those processes comes under fresh scrutiny.

The Beke leadership also called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to urgently review all records connected to the disputed primaries and other decisions taken by the Okocha group.

The faction warned that failure to address the situation promptly could expose the party to legal challenges capable of affecting its electoral fortunes in future elections.

Party officials pointed to previous experiences in other states where internal disputes over candidate nominations eventually led to the loss of electoral victories through court rulings.

Beyond the issue of party primaries, the leadership further urged the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to withdraw certificates issued to local government chairmen and councillors elected during the August 2025 local government elections conducted under the disputed structure.