The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, led by Chief Emeka Beke, has reaffirmed its commitment to participating in the October 5 local government election, despite a Federal High Court judgment that attempted to halt the process.
In a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Beke emphasized that the suit leading to the court’s decision was filed by Chief Tony Okocha, an individual the party considers an impostor.
Beke explained that Okocha’s suit was part of a broader attempt by some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve the duly elected State Executive Committee (SWC) and replace it with a caretaker committee led by Okocha.
However, the High Court of Rivers State, presided over by Justice S. H. Aprioku, had previously validated the elected State Executive Committee’s tenure until 2025 and declared Beke’s leadership as authentic.
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“The elected State Executive Committee approached the High Court of Rivers State, and in a considered judgment, the court affirmed our validity and subsistence until 2025,” Beke stated. “The court also set aside the purported caretaker committee of Chief Tony Okocha.”
Furthermore, Beke pointed out that the High Court of River State, in a separate judgment on September 4, ordered the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to proceed with the local government election.
He argued that this judgment takes precedence over the Federal High Court’s decision, citing the principle that “when two equities are equal, the first in time prevails.”
The APC chieftain also emphasized that the party’s constitution grants the State Executive Committee authority over local government election participation.
Additionally, he noted that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had previously ordered the Rivers State government to conduct local government elections within three months of its judgment, which the Federal High Court cannot lawfully override.
In conclusion, Beke reiterated the Rivers State APC’s support for the October 5 election and confirmed that the party has submitted its candidates’ names for the various positions. “We distance ourselves from the judgment in Suit Number PHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024, as it does not represent the interest of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress,” he declared
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