Fresh crisis hits Rivers APC over LG primaries

A fresh crisis is brewing in the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the conduct of local government primaries.

While the faction led by Chief Tony Okocha is making preparations for the primaries, another faction, headed by Chief Emeka Beke, on Thursday stormed the APC national secretariat in Abuja with some of his executives to submit a formal petition to the new national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, urging him to stop Okocha from conducting the exercise.

According to Daily Trust, the Rivers APC has long been engulfed in internal crisis, with both Okocha and Beke laying claim to the position of state chairman.

During the tenure of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as national chairman, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) recognised Okocha as the state chairman.

However, following Ganduje’s recent exit, Beke is asking the new chairman, Yilwatda, to accord him recognition and mandate his executive to oversee the primaries, citing a court judgement in his favour.

Speaking to journalists after submitting the petition, Beke maintained that he remains the authentic chairman of the Rivers State APC, based on an earlier ruling by the Rivers State High Court.

“We are aware of the decision of the national leadership of the APC extending the tenure of all elected state executive committees to December 2025. We welcome that decision.

“We wish to respectfully bring to your notice the judgement of the High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt Division, delivered by Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku, which affirmed the subsistence of the tenure of the Chief Emeka Beke-led executive committee of APC, Rivers State.

“There is also the judgement of Hon. Justice Obomanu of the High Court of Rivers State in Suit No. PHC/3859/CS/2024 – Okwu Joebrown Ndike & Ors. v. All Progressives Congress & Anor. – which invalidated the purported election of the Chief Tony Okocha-led executive committee.

“We are members of the state executive committee of the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State chapter, and write in that capacity,” he said.

However, APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, told Daily Trust that Okocha remains the authentic chairman of the party in Rivers.

In a WhatsApp message, Morka stated, “Tony Okocha is the Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of APC.”