A factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke, has urged the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to halt the scheduled local government primaries in the state, citing legal recognition of his leadership.
Beke, who led a delegation to the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, submitted a formal petition against the planned primaries being coordinated by a rival faction led by Chief Tony Okocha. He insisted that the primaries should not proceed under the Okocha-led executive, which he described as illegitimate.
Speaking to journalists after submitting the petition, Beke maintained that he remains the authentic state chairman of the APC in Rivers, relying on a court judgment that he said affirmed his position.
“I call on the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to suspend the scheduled local government primaries in Rivers State being coordinated by the Tony Okocha-led faction,” Beke said. “The process should instead be overseen by the Emeka Beke-led executive, which is duly recognized by law.”
The latest development adds to the deepening leadership crisis within the Rivers State chapter of the APC, which has been plagued by internal divisions and legal battles.
