The volatile political landscape of Rivers State has been thrown into fresh turmoil following a controversial Court of Appeal ruling, sparking contrasting reactions from rival factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). ​
While anti-Wike forces within the party are celebrating what they claim is a decisive legal victory nullifying the caretaker committee backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, the former governor has swiftly dismissed the celebrations, describing their interpretation of the judgment as “fraudulent.”
​The mainstream PDP faction, aligned with the national leadership, erupted in celebration following the appellate court’s decision. Spokespersons for the anti-Wike bloc insisted that the ruling firmly dismantles the legal recognition previously granted to the Rivers State PDP Caretaker Committee loyal to the FCT Minister. ​
According to opposition stakeholders, the judgment effectively strips Wike’s structure of its legitimacy to oversee party congresses or field candidates, marking a significant shift in the protracted battle for the control of the Rivers PDP structure. ​Reacting to the development during an inspection tour of infrastructure projects, Nyesom Wike urged his political opponents to temper their celebrations with reality.
The Minister accused the opposition of deliberately misrepresenting the court’s verdict to mislead their supporters and sustain what he termed a “lost political cause.” ​Wike insisted that the appellate court’s ruling was clear and did not grant the reliefs the opposition is claiming. He challenged them to stop premature media victory laps and face the ultimate constitutional reality.
​”They are conducting elections and celebrating in the media,” Wike stated. “Why not wait? If you say you have won, wait until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) publishes the official candidate lists.
That is when you will know who is truly in charge.” ​The legal showdown in the PDP unfolds alongside parallel friction in the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) structure, where the Court of Appeal recently dismissed an appeal by a pro-Wike executive faction led by Tony Okocha. ​
With both major party structures in Rivers State heavily entangled in litigation ahead of upcoming electoral cycles, political analysts warn that the true legitimacy of either faction will ultimately be decided not just in courtrooms, but by INEC’s final regulatory decisions. ​For now, the Rivers PDP remains a house divided, with one side claiming legal vindication and the other confidently waiting for the electoral umpire to have the final say.
