The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has upheld an earlier ruling that nullified the ward, local government and state congresses conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, a development that further deepens the leadership crisis within the party in the state.
The appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by the faction led by Tony Okocha, thereby affirming the decision of the Rivers State High Court which had invalidated the congresses that produced Okocha and other members of his executive committee.
The dispute dates back to December 2024 when Justice Godswill Obomanu of the Rivers State High Court issued an order restraining the APC from proceeding with its planned congresses across the state pending the determination of a suit before the court.
Despite the restraining order, the party went ahead with the exercises, leading to the emergence of Okocha as chairman alongside other officials at the ward, local government and state levels.
Challenging the ruling, Okocha’s camp approached the Court of Appeal in suit number CA/PH/523/2026, arguing that the high court lacked the authority to entertain the matter and should not have issued the order that halted the congresses.
However, in a judgment delivered by Justice Elfreida Williams-Dawodu, the appellate court rejected the appeal and ruled that it was incompetent. The court subsequently struck out the case, effectively leaving the earlier orders of the high court intact.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the Emeka Beke-led faction of the APC, Emenike Ebete, said the decision was a major victory for his clients.
According to him, the congresses were conducted in direct violation of a valid court order and were subsequently nullified by the high court after affected parties returned to challenge the action.
Ebete explained that the appeal sought to overturn the jurisdiction of the high court, a move which, if successful, could have rendered all subsequent decisions arising from the case ineffective.
He said the Court of Appeal’s decision means that the nullification of the congresses remains valid and binding.
“The appeal was struck out for being incompetent. That means the order of the high court nullifying the congresses is still in force,” he stated.
The lawyer, however, clarified that the latest judgment is separate from another court decision that removed Okocha and members of his executive from the leadership of the APC in Rivers State.
Meanwhile, the Okocha-led faction has expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling and signalled its intention to review the judgment before deciding on its next move.
In a statement issued shortly after the court’s decision, APC Publicity Secretary Chibike Ikenga said the group had already applied for the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
He noted that the party’s legal team would study the verdict and advise on the appropriate course of action.
“We have applied for the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered today. Once the copy is made available, our lawyers will address us on the next line of action,” the statement said.