BREAKING: Rivers APC Leadership Battle Takes New Twist As Chinda, Others Lose Nominations

The leadership crisis within the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified, with the reinstated faction of the party declaring all nominations and decisions made by the rival leadership null and void.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The faction, led by Chief Emeka Beke, maintained that every action, communication, nomination, and document issued on behalf of the Rivers APC between December 20, 2024, and May 29, 2026, lacks legal validity. The position follows a Court of Appeal judgment affirming the nullification of the congresses that produced Chief Tony Okocha as the party’s state chairman.

The declaration was contained in a statement released on Monday by the spokesman of the Beke-led faction, Darlington Nwauju.

Among those affected by the development is Kingsley Chinda, a political ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who emerged as the APC governorship candidate after Governor Siminalayi Fubara reportedly withdrew from the race. Several other Wike allies also secured nominations for National Assembly and State House of Assembly seats ahead of the 2027 elections.

The latest dispute stems from a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, which upheld an earlier High Court judgment invalidating the congresses that brought Okocha to office.

According to Nwauju, the appellate court’s decision means the Okocha-led faction lacked the authority to act on behalf of the APC in Rivers State or make binding decisions for the party.

He argued that the disputed congresses conducted in November 2024 had been legally invalidated and could no longer serve as the basis for any legitimate party activity.

Nwauju further maintained that members of the Okocha camp were neither validly elected executives nor recognised caretaker committee members, citing previous court rulings that restored the Emeka Beke-led leadership.

The spokesman also accused certain interests within the party of turning the APC into an exclusive political platform by allegedly sidelining founding members, elected lawmakers, and other stakeholders during the nomination process.

Warning against a repeat of past mistakes that previously cost the APC electoral victories in Rivers State, Nwauju urged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to strictly adhere to court rulings and address the leadership dispute.

He insisted that all actions taken by the disputed leadership, including candidate nominations and official representations, remain invalid under the law.

The Beke faction also called on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to withdraw certificates of return issued to candidates produced by the Okocha faction during the August 2025 local government elections and replace them with candidates nominated by the Beke-led executive.

Additionally, the group urged the APC National Working Committee to review all primaries conducted in Rivers State, warning that failure to act could result in a crisis similar to the one that affected the party in Zamfara State.

The development has further deepened uncertainty within the Rivers APC, casting doubt over the status of candidates produced by the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.