The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has scheduled November 5, 2025, for a pivotal ruling that will determine the legitimacy of All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen serving in the state’s local government councils. Presiding Justice Stephen Jumbo will deliver the judgment following hearings on competing claims about valid candidacies in the August 30, 2025 local elections.
Factional Dispute Over APC Representation
Loyalists of the Emeka Beke-led APC faction initiated the legal action seeking judicial affirmation that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC) must legally recognize their candidates. The claimants maintain they submitted valid nominations on August 13, 2025, which were disregarded in favor of a parallel faction’s candidates.
In their submission, the plaintiffs request a perpetual injunction barring RISIEC from recognizing results of the August 4 primaries. The faction contends their nominees constitute the APC’s legitimate representatives across all local government areas won by the party.
Potential Leadership Shakeup
The legal challenge seeks more than validation – it demands judicial orders declaring the Beke faction’s candidates as rightful election winners. Should the court rule favorably, it could trigger the replacement of current APC chairmen across Rivers State’s 20 local government councils.
Following arguments from legal representatives of both parties, Justice Jumbo adjourned proceedings to November 5. The forthcoming ruling specifically addresses preliminary objections questioning the court’s jurisdiction over the factional dispute.
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