A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed June 3, 2026, to deliver judgment in a suit that will determine the fate of local government chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas.
The case, presided over by Justice Stephen Jumbo, was instituted by three aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State against the party’s factional chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the PDP, and the Rivers State Government.
Justice Jumbo adjourned the matter for judgment after counsel to the parties adopted their final written addresses on both the preliminary objections and the originating summons.
It was observed that the Rivers State Government neither filed processes nor adopted any address in the matter. However, the court had earlier granted the plaintiffs’ application for extension of time.
The claimants — Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio, and Uche Amadi — are asking the court to determine whether the Aaron Chukwuemeka-led PDP executive, whose emergence has reportedly been nullified by an earlier judgment of the Rivers State High Court, can validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC.
They are also seeking the court’s interpretation on whether the PDP presented a valid list of candidates through Chukwuemeka for participation in the August 30, 2025, local government elections.
The outcome of the judgment is expected to have significant implications for the legitimacy of the affected council officials.
