By Emmanuel Kanayo
Tension has engulfed the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress as a Court of Appeal judgment threatens to sack the entire party structure led by Chief Tony Okocha.
The battle for the soul of Rivers APC between Chief Emeka Beke, loyalist of ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Chief Tony Okocha, political godson of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has exploded again.
The war started when the APC National Working Committee in Abuja illegally dissolved the elected Beke executive in late 2023 and imposed Okocha as Caretaker Chairman.
Beke fought back in court and won big on August 12, 2024, when Justice Sika Aprioku thundered that Beke remains the authentic chairman of Rivers APC.
But Okocha defied the court. He went ahead to organise controversial ward, LGA and state congresses on November 23 and 30, 2024, where he crowned himself chairman.
Angered by the impunity, party members dragged Okocha to court.
In a landmark ruling on December 20, 2024, Justice Godswill Obomanu in Suit No PHC/3805/CS/2024 nullified all the congresses and declared Okocha's executive illegal, null and void.
Okocha ran to the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, in Appeal No CA/PH/523/2024.
On May 29, 2026, disaster struck for Okocha. Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu threw out his appeal as incompetent and rubbish, affirming that the Rivers State High Court has full powers to sack him.
The judgment has thrown Rivers APC into chaos.
Beke's camp is jubilating. His spokesman Darlington Nwauju has declared that every single action taken by Okocha from December 20, 2024 to May 29, 2026 is dead on arrival.
Nwauju listed the casualties:
- The fake governorship ticket given to Hon. Kingsley Chinda after Gov. Fubara withdrew
- All National Assembly and State Assembly tickets
- All LGA chairmen who won in August 2025 under Okocha's platform
He has demanded that Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) immediately withdraw certificates issued to the Okocha-backed chairmen.
But Okocha's camp is not giving up. His spokesman Chibike Ikenga claims the Appeal Court only touched ward congresses, not the state congress that made Okocha chairman. He points to a March 23, 2026 High Court ruling that dismissed challenge to Okocha's state congress.
On October 25, 2026, Okocha's APC announced it will appeal to the Supreme Court, insisting the congresses were valid and blessed by the NWC.
Political watchers warn Rivers APC is heading for a repeat of the Zamfara disaster in 2019 where the Supreme Court sacked all APC candidates and handed victory to PDP because of invalid primaries.
With 2027 elections approaching, will Rivers APC survive this self-inflicted war?
