The leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has once again spilled into the courts — this time over who gets to sponsor candidates for the local government elections on August 30, 2025.

The faction loyal to Emeka Beke, who won the court case in the chairmanship tussle, has filed a lawsuit against the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and Tony Okocha, who is backed by the APC National Secretariat, claiming that only the Beke-led executives have the constitutional power to conduct primaries and submit candidates.

The suit, with number PHC/3163/CS/2025, was filed at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The lead plaintiff, Awoala Emine, the Vice Chairman in the Beke-led executive, sued on behalf of the entire executive committee elected in 2021.

Twenty-three other individuals joined the suit, each claiming to be the authentic chairmanship candidates of the party for the local government poll.

The defendants in the case are the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Tony Okocha, and all chairmanship candidates produced by the Okocha-led executive for the local government election.

Why They’re in Court

The Beke camp insisted that, according to the APC constitution, it is only the State Working Committee (SWC) — which they lead — that can organise primaries and submit names to RSIEC.

The faction also leaned on two subsisting court rulings – One delivered in 2023 by Justice S.H. Aprioku, which nullified the national leadership’s attempt to dissolve the Beke-led exco, affirming that it remains in office until October 2025.

Another judgment in 2024, by Justice G.V. Obonanu, which threw out the controversial congress that brought in Tony Okocha as chairman.

According to the Beke faction, these rulings mean that Okocha is not, in law, the APC chairman in Rivers State

Allegations Against RSIEC

The plaintiffs allege that while they were conducting their own primaries on August 7, 2025, Tony Okocha quietly sent another list of candidates to RSIEC.

When RSIEC eventually published the names of candidates on August 18, the Beke faction’s nominees were missing.

In their words, RSIEC’s action was “blatant, wilful, and unlawful,” accusing the commission of working hand-in-hand with Okocha’s group to edge them out.

The claimants want the court to:

“Declare the Beke-led SWC as the only body empowered to conduct primaries;

“Reaffirm that Tony Okocha is not APC chairman in Rivers;

“Compel RSIEC to publish and use only their list of candidates;

“Stop RSIEC from recognising any list from Okocha’s faction;

“Set aside the already published list of August 18; and

“Void the entire election if their candidates are not included.”

The court has given the defendants 21 days to respond.

The local government election is scheduled for August 30, just a few days after the filing of this suit. (Channels TV)