Rivers APC judgment nullifies Okocha's congresses, party downplays impact

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) faces a significant legal challenge after the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt upheld a High Court decision nullifying its congresses. These congresses had led to the emergence of Chief Tony Okocha as the state chairman and other party executives.

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The court has in its judgment nullified the Congresses of the APC, citing disregard of court orders.

The High Court had initially issued an ex parte order restraining the APC from conducting its congresses. However, the party proceeded, resulting in the election of Okocha and other officials. The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment, affirmed the High Court's nullification, citing the party's disregard for court orders.

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They disobeyed the order of court, went ahead and conducted local government, state, and ward congresses. So we went back to the high court and prayed that those congresses be nullified, having disobeyed the court order, and the court nullified the congresses.

Despite the ruling, the APC maintains that the judgment does not threaten the current leadership. However, a counsel for one of the respondents, Emenike Ebete, argued that the decision renders all official actions and documents signed by Chief Okocha from 2024 until the judgment date null and void. This includes decisions related to the recent local government elections.

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They appealed to the court of appeal against the ex parte order, and in that appeal they were saying that the court has no jurisdiction to make any order at all and that the court should strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction.