The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has revealed the party’s ambition to wrest Rivers state from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 elections. He made the statement during the inauguration of the state working committee in Port Harcourt on Saturday, where he was joined by top party officials to express support for the newly appointed Exco.

In his address, Victor Giadom, the party’s National South-South Vice Chairman, affirmed that the APC is preparing to take over Rivers state. The inauguration, however, took place amid questions over the legality of the process, with the national legal adviser swearing in the Exco members.

The newly inaugurated Exco leader expressed gratitude to his team for their efforts, while Ganduje emphasized that the party’s goal is to bring Rivers state into the APC fold and increase the number of APC-controlled states in the South-South zone to three.

Although the APC National Working Committee recognizes the Tony Okocha-led Exco, there is an ongoing court case that validates Emeka Beke as the party’s chairman in the state, and it remains uncertain how this will impact the party’s plans leading into the 2025 elections.