By Jude Opara, Abuja
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has been charged to handle the ongoing crisis rocking the party in Rivers State with caution, because it stands as his first real test of credibility and ability to manage internal disputes ahead of future elections.
Tinubu Support Group (TSG) gave the charge in a statement it issued to newsmen on Thursday and signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu and Chief Samuel Dike as coordinators, North and South respectively.
It could be recalled that the APC is currently embroiled in a leadership crisis ahead of the August 30, 2025 Local Government Area elections in Rivers State, with two claimants, Emeka Beke and Tony Okocha claiming to be the authentic Chairman of the party in the state.
While Okocha who is recognized by the National Working Committee (NWC) has continued to enjoy that cover, Beke has warned that recognising the former Chief of Staff to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi would spell doom for the APC ahead of the polls.
Beke, who recently paid a congratulatory visit to the APC National Chairman, insisted that he remains the authentic chairman of the APC in the state based on an existing High Court ruling that pronounced him and his State Working Committee (SWC) as the legitimate leadership.
He cited a Rivers State High Court judgment delivered by Justice S.H. Aprioku, which voided the purported dissolution of his SWC and validated his tenure of office until October 2025. He argued that the judgment remains in force because it has not been set aside by any higher court.
In the statement, the TSG warned Yilwatda who is billed to visit Rivers state not to allow himself to be drawn into any damaging controversy by factions within the party.
Already, both contending factions in the Rivers APC crisis have submitted their candidates’ lists to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) ahead of the elections.
Also, RSIEC confirmed it had received a petition from the Emeka Beke-led faction challenging the list sent by the Okocha faction, with a promise to look into it, noting that the final list of candidates for the elections will be published next week.
The TSG therefore cautioned that the APC’s NWC must remain neutral and avoid taking sides in order not to deepen the crisis before the 2027 general elections.
“We urge our new National Chairman and the NWC to carefully wade into the Rivers State crisis with the goal of reconciling all parties, rather than taking sides. We are all in this together and need each other ahead of the great task of delivering our party in the 2027 elections.
“He should not allow himself to be enticed into politically sensitive visits to certain states, especially at this time. The Rivers State election, as well as the bye-elections in many other states, will serve as his first major test of credibility and his approach to resolving internal party crises”, the TSG concluded.
