Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chibike Ikenga, has reassured the public the state Executive Committee remains unaffected by Friday, May 29, 2026 judgment by the Court of Appeal Port Harcourt Division.
The appellate court had in ruling by Justice Elfreda Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu affirmed the earlier decision of Justice Godswill Obomanu of the Rivers State High Court, on an appeal filed by Tony Okocha and others in Suit No. CA/PH/523/2024, in which they sought to overturn the High Court’s judgment.
Reacting to the Court of Appeal judgment Ikenga stated that the state executive council of the party remained intact pending the conclusion of full trial proceedings.
He noted that the party was aware of the Court of Appeal judgment delivered in Port Harcourt on Friday, May 29, 2026, in an interlocutory appeal which has now been remitted to the trial court for determination.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the decision of the Rivers State High Court which nullified the All Progressives Congress (APC) congresses held in the state.
The trial court had on December 20, 2024.
invalidated the congresses that produced Tony Okocha and other members of the state APC leadership, a position the appellate court sustained, thereby maintaining the nullification of both the congresses and the executive structure that emerged from them.
The ruling followed contempt proceedings initiated by supporters of Chief Emeka Beke.
Before the congresses were held, the court had issued an order restraining the APC from conducting the exercise in Rivers State.
However, the party proceeded with the congresses despite the subsisting court order.
But according to Chibuike Ikenga, the ruling did not affect the standing of the current party executives, as the case remained pending before the lower court for full hearing.
He urged party members to remain calm and disregard what he described as misleading interpretations of the ruling by individuals unfamiliar with the details of the proceedings.
He said, “The Leadership of the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State are aware of the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt dated Friday, 29th May, 2026 in an Interlocutory Appeal and Matter sent back to the Court of first instance for full trial in (APPEAL NO: CA/PH/523/2024: APC & ANOR. V OKWU JOEBROWN NDIKE filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the jurisdiction of the High court directing the parties to ‘maintain status quo’ and also challenging the competence of the suit before the Rivers State High Court.
“There is no threat to the status of the Exco pending full trial. Our Lawyers will study the full judgment and advise on the next step.
“We advise party faithful to remain calm and not panic by the deliberate misrepresentation of the facts and circumstances of the judgement by those who lack in-depth knowledge of what transpired in the Court.”
In his reaction to the Court of Appeal’s verdict, counsel to the respondents, Emenike Ebete, said the judgment was delivered virtually via Zoom, adding that parties to the matter were provided with a link to join the proceedings.
According to him, before the congresses were held, the High Court had granted an ex parte order restraining the party from conducting the exercise.
Ebete said; “Despite the subsisting court order, they went ahead to conduct the ward, local government and state congresses without returning to court.
As a result, the High Court nullified the congresses.
“The implication is that the judgment of the High Court nullifying the congresses remains valid and binding,” he added.
He further stated that the matter was taken to the Court of Appeal, which, after hearing the appeal, dismissed it for being incompetent.
“They disobeyed the court and went ahead to conduct the local government, state and ward congresses without going back to the high court, so those congresses were nullified.
“They appealed at the court of appeal, the court heard the appeal and dismissed it for incompetence, meaning that the order of the high court nullifying their congresses still stands.”
