Rivers APC Holds Congress as Wike's Loyalist, Okocha, Emerges New Party Chairman

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has elected Chief Tony Okocha as its new chairman.

Chief Okocha, an ally of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, was elected alongside others to spearhead the affairs of the party for the next four years having completed his terms as the Caretaker Committee (CTC) chairman of the party during a state delegate congress.

The state delegate congress which was conducted through voice vote was presided over by Dr Adoye Omale, who represented the party’s national Secretariat.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected state party chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, said his election has gone a long way to prove all critics wrong that APC is not united and cannot conduct a peaceful election, saying that with the mandate given to him and other elected executive members the party is set to take Rivers state government in 2027.

Despite a court ruling that forbade the national APC leadership from hosting any congresses in the state, the Tony Okocha-led group went ahead with their state congress, intensifying the leadership crisis within the Rivers State chapter of the APC.

Recall, that the APC and the party's national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, were barred from holding electoral congresses in Rivers without the claimants' participation in an on-going legal matter by an ex- parte order issued by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt.

The congress was nevertheless held at the Okocha faction's factional secretariat at Port Harcourt-Aba express road.

Major APC heavyweights were in anttendance including South-South National Vice Chairman Chief Victor Giadom, Magnus Abe, and Tony Okocha.