The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), loyal to former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, has officially declared its support for the upcoming local government elections in the state, scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The party has confirmed its participation and has submitted the names of its candidates for various positions.
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In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, titled “Re: Position of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress on the forthcoming Local Government Election in Rivers State Vis-a-vis the Judgement in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/987/2024,” the party made its stance clear.
The letter, signed by Emeka Beke, Chairman of APC Rivers State, and Sam Etetegwung, the State Secretary, outlined the party’s position.
The statement recalled the legal challenges the party faced after an attempt by certain members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve the duly elected Rivers State Executive Committee and replace it with a caretaker committee led by Chief Tony Okocha.
In response to this, the Beke-led Executive Committee filed legal suits in the Rivers State High Court (Suit No. PHC/3592/CS/2023 and Suit No. PCH/3735/CS/2023), which resulted in a ruling by Justice S. H. Aprioku affirming the validity of the Beke-led committee until 2025.
The court also dismissed the legitimacy of Okocha’s purported caretaker committee.
The APC leadership in Rivers acknowledged the Federal High Court’s recent judgment in Suit No. PHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024 but emphasized the precedence of an earlier judgment by Justice I. P. C. Igwe of the Rivers State High Court.
That ruling, delivered on September 4, 2024, in Suit No. PHC/2696/CS/2024 between the Action People’s Party (APP) and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), mandated RSIEC to proceed with the local government election as scheduled or choose a new date.
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APC Rivers maintained that this earlier ruling takes precedence, adhering to the legal principle that “when two equities are equal, the first in time prevails.”
In the statement, Beke reaffirmed the authority of the State Executive Committee to determine the party’s participation in the local elections, stressing that Chief Tony Okocha is not recognized as a legitimate leader within the APC Rivers Chapter.
Beke also noted that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had previously ordered the Rivers State Government to conduct local government elections within three months of its ruling, which further supports the continuation of the election process.
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The party distanced itself from the Federal High Court judgment in Suit No. PHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024 and discredited Okocha’s claims, urging the public to disregard his position.
APC Rivers called on citizens and institutions to participate in the upcoming October 5 local government elections, affirming that it has submitted its candidates and fully supports the process.
The statement emphasized that APC Rivers is committed to the elections and urged voters to ignore the “rantings” of Okocha and his supporters, reaffirming the party’s readiness for the polls.
