Fresh Crisis in Rivers! Appeal Court Reverses 2015 Sack of APC LG Chairmen, Compounding Political Tensions

Rivers State’s political crisis worsens as the Court of Appeal overturns the 2015 sack of APC local government chairmen, while the Supreme Court has already nullified the LG election conducted by Governor Sim Fubara. What happens next? Read full details here!

 

The political crisis in Rivers State has deepened as the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on Friday, February 28, 2025, overturned the 2015 judgment of the Federal High Court, which had sacked All Progressives Congress (APC)-elected local government chairmen.

 

This development comes amid an already chaotic situation, as the Supreme Court recently nullified the local government elections conducted by Governor Sim Fubara, leaving Rivers State in a state of legal and administrative limbo.

 

With this fresh ruling, legal experts and political analysts are questioning who now controls the local governments in Rivers State—the APC chairmen sacked in 2015 or the PDP appointees following the Supreme Court judgment?

 

APC Chairmen’s Sack in 2015 Reversed—How It Started

 

The case dates back to 2015, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and then-Governor Nyesom Wike challenged the legitimacy of local government elections held before he assumed office.

 

The Federal High Court ruled in Wike’s favor, sacking the APC-elected chairmen. However, the affected officials were never allowed to defend themselves in court, leading them to appeal the ruling.

 

A three-man panel led by Justice A. H. Lager-Balogun faulted the Federal High Court for:

✅ Failing to determine its jurisdiction before issuing its ruling.

✅ Excluding the affected chairmen from the case, despite their direct interest.

 

As a result, the Appeal Court nullified the 2015 judgment, stating that it was legally defective and void.

 

No Clear Ruling on the Fate of the LG Councils

 

While the Court of Appeal set aside the 2015 judgment, it declined to make any consequential orders regarding who should take over the 23 local government councils. This has left room for further legal and political battles over the control of Rivers’ grassroots governance.

 

What Next? APC Chairmen Push for Resumption

 

Following the ruling, one of the affected chairmen, Reginald Ukwuoma, has already declared that the APC-elected officials should immediately return to office, citing the vacuum created by the Supreme Court’s recent judgment, which invalidated the local government election conducted under Governor Sim Fubara’s administration.

 

“With this judgment, we believe the legal path is now clear for us to return to our rightful positions. The Supreme Court has already nullified Fubara’s election of new LG chairmen, meaning there’s a vacuum. We are ready to resume.”

 

More Confusion as Legal Battles Loom

 

Despite the Appeal Court ruling, it remains unclear whether the Rivers State Government under Governor Sim Fubara will recognize the APC chairmen, given the ongoing power tussle between him and Wike’s loyalists.

 

Additionally, counsel to the embattled chairmen, James Kalu-Momg, has stated that they will review the judgment carefully before deciding on their next legal steps, hinting at potential further court actions.

 

Rivers Politics in Turmoil: Who Will Take Over the LGs?

 

This ruling has thrown Rivers State into a deeper political crisis, as the Supreme Court had earlier sacked Governor Fubara’s LG chairmen, leaving the local government structure in complete uncertainty.

 

Will Governor Fubara allow the 2015 APC-elected officials to return, or will he seek alternative legal maneuvers to maintain control? As tensions escalate, all eyes are on the next political and legal moves in this high-stakes power struggle.