The Court of Appeal  has affirmed a high court ruling that nullified the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) ward, local government, and state congresses that produced the Tony Okocha-led executive committee.

The decision effectively upheld the earlier ex parte order restraining the APC from conducting the congresses in the state, which the lower court had ruled upon.

Tony Okocha had approached the appellate court challenging the high court’s jurisdiction over the matter, arguing that the court lacked the authority to issue the restraining order and that the decision was therefore invalid.

However, in its judgment delivered by Justice Elfreida Williams-Dawodu, the Court of Appeal held that the high court had the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and issue the order, subsequently dismissing the appeal for lack of merit.

Reacting to the ruling, the publicity secretary of the Okocha-led APC executive in Rivers State, Ikenga Chibike, said there was no immediate threat to the status of the executive committee, noting that the case was still subject to full trial.

He added that the party’s legal team would review the judgment and advise on the next steps.