Conflicting Interpretations Follow Appeal Court Ruling on Rivers APC Leadership Dispute

Confusion has emerged over the implications of a Court of Appeal judgment involving the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, led by Chief Tony Okocha.

The judgment, delivered by the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal and presided over by Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu, was reportedly issued on Friday via Zoom. Access details were made available only to lawyers involved in the case.

The appeal was filed by the Okocha-led Rivers APC executive to challenge an earlier order of the Rivers State High Court. The late Justice Godswill Obomanu had directed parties to maintain the status quo and subsequently nullified congresses conducted by the party in the state.

However, before the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, both sides in the dispute offered differing interpretations of the court's decision.

Opponents of the Okocha-led executive claimed that the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the High Court's ruling.

One of the respondents, Sogbeye Eli, said the appellate court affirmed the nullification of the congresses that produced the appellants.

According to him, the judgment means that all actions, decisions, communications and representations made by Tony Okocha and members of his executive committee since December 20, 2024, are invalid unless overturned by the Supreme Court.

The Rivers APC, however, rejected that interpretation.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the party's Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, said the judgment does not affect the legitimacy of the Okocha-led state executive committee.

Ikenga explained that the appeal challenged the jurisdiction of the High Court to entertain matters relating to the party's internal affairs, the order directing parties to maintain the status quo, and the competence of the suit before the High Court.

He said the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal and directed the parties to return to the Rivers State High Court for the hearing of the substantive matter.

According to him, the appellate court based its decision on the understanding that the case related to local government and ward elections, which, in its view, should terminate at the High Court.

He further stated that the original suit was filed by individuals who alleged that they were denied nomination forms for local government and ward congresses in 2024.

Ikenga said the party had already applied for a copy of the judgment and would determine its next legal steps after reviewing the court's decision.

He maintained that the appeal court ruling was unrelated to the state congresses that produced Okocha and other members of the APC State Executive Committee.

He also noted that a separate case challenging the state congresses, Suit No. PHC/3805/2024, Charles Enyidia & Ors v. APC, was dismissed on March 23, 2026.

Ikenga urged party members to remain calm and avoid being influenced by what he described as misleading interpretations of the judgment.

The release of the Certified True Copy of the ruling is expected to provide greater clarity on the legal position of the parties involved.