PORT HARCOURT – A political storm is brewing in Rivers State as the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has officially recognized only the candidates from the Chief Tony Okocha-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the upcoming August 30th local government elections. This decision has sparked outrage from the rival Emeka Beke-led faction, which claims to be the legitimate leadership of the party.
RSIEC’s Stance
According to Professor Chidi Holiday, the RSIEC Commissioner for Administration and Legal Matters, the commission received two separate lists of candidates from the APC. While the list from the Okocha-led faction was submitted within the specified timeframe, the Beke-led faction’s submission came in late.
“We know that we have the lists of candidates of APC that we monitored their primaries,” Halliday said, emphasizing that the Beke-led faction “never indicated any interest in joining the elections.” He added that RSIEC is not a court and would not intervene in the internal wrangling of a political party. He noted that the commission deals with the party executives as recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Beke Faction Fights Back
In a swift and fiery response, Mr. Darlington Nwauju, spokesperson for the Emeka Beke-led APC, insisted that their list was submitted on time. He argued that RSIEC should only be engaging with their faction, which he claims is the legally recognized leadership.
“Any attempt to publish any name or names without the endorsement of our Chairman, Chief Emeka Beke and the State Secretary, Sam Sam Etetegwung as candidates of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State will attract the long arm of the law,” Nwauju declared, signaling that a legal battle may be on the horizon. The ongoing dispute has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the forthcoming elections, with potential legal challenges threatening to disrupt the entire process.
