Factional Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) executive headed by Emeka Beke yesterday demanded recognition from the new National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda.

The faction also demanded the suspension party’s primaries to elect candidates for the forthcoming local government poll.

In its petition, the group asked the APC national leadership to stop recognising the faction headed by Tony Okocha. Beke cited a judgment of a Rivers State High Court affirming his leadership of the party in the state.

The immediate past APC National Chairman Umar Ganduje appointed Okocha as the chairman of the Rivers APC Caretaker Committee in 2023 following the leadership crisis in the opposition party in the state.

The petitioners said: “In a wellconsidered judgement, a High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt Division, presided over by Justice S. H. Aprioku set aside the purported dissolution of the Rivers State Executive Committee of the party and found that the said State Executive Committee led by Chief Emeka Beke is the valid and subsisting leadership of the APC in Rivers State until October 2025 when its tenure will statutorily elapse.

We annex a copy of the said Judgement as well as the judgement order for your record and guidance. “The above said judgement is still subsisting and binding, having not been set aside by any court of competent appellate jurisdiction.”