The ongoing leadership struggle within the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified, with two opposing factions offering conflicting interpretations of a recent Court of Appeal decision to bolster their claims to legitimacy.
On Friday, the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt delivered a ruling on an appeal brought by the APC’s National Executive Committee against a High Court injunction that had prevented the party from holding its congresses in Rivers State.
The appellate court overturned the earlier High Court order and dismissed the suit filed by Peter Ohochukwu on behalf of the dissolved state working committee led by Emeka Beke.
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The Court of Appeal reasoned that matters concerning a political party’s internal affairs and leadership are not subject to judicial intervention.
In response, the faction loyal to Chief Tony Okocha hailed the judgment as a victory, asserting that it validates their leadership.
The faction’s Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, stated that the ruling reaffirms Tony Okocha as the party’s chairman in the state.
However, the Emeka Beke faction issued a counter-statement, dismissing the Okocha camp’s interpretation as misleading and false.
Their Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, clarified that the Court of Appeal’s ruling was only on an interim appeal and did not invalidate the existing High Court judgment that affirmed Beke’s leadership.
He further argued that the ruling did not affect the judgment delivered by Justice Sika Aprioku on August 12, 2024, which recognized the tenure of the Beke-led executive until October 21, 2025.
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