The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the emergence of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the January 16, 2027, election, recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the rightful winner of the party’s primary.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the judgment on Thursday, held that the evidence before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
The court consequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Okorocha and publish his name as the party’s authentic candidate for the senatorial election.
It also restrained Uzodimma from parading himself as the APC candidate for the district.
The ruling marks a major development in the political contest for the APC ticket in Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to the judgment, Okorocha praised the judiciary for what he described as its commitment to justice, declaring that the decision represented a victory for the people of Imo State.
Speaking while hosting his legal team after the judgment, the former governor also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, linking the court’s decision to what he described as the President’s position on the political situation in the state.
“I thank the judiciary for standing on the side of justice. I could imagine what would have happened in the state if they decided to twist justice. This is a victory for Imo State,” Okorocha said.
He further suggested that the judgment had ended what he regarded as the political oppression of the people of Imo State.
“This is also the first time the Imo people will understand the sign of the shackle on President Tinubu’s cap. By this judgment, the shackle on Imo State has been broken, and it is also evident that the President is tired of this nonsense and that he is not in support of it,” he said.
However, Okorocha did not provide evidence that Tinubu intervened in the legal dispute or influenced the court’s decision.
The legal battle followed a disagreement over the outcome of the APC primary, with Okorocha challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate for Imo West.
The controversy intensified after INEC maintained that its official report identified Uzodimma as the winner of the primary, with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.
The electoral commission subsequently petitioned the police and the Department of State Services over the circulation of a disputed document online that purportedly identified Okorocha as the winner of the exercise.
INEC had insisted that the official result submitted to its headquarters recognised Uzodimma as the winner, raising questions about the conflicting documents surrounding the primary.
Okorocha also questioned the documentation presented during the dispute, particularly claims that Uzodimma emerged through consensus despite the recording of individual scores.
He further queried discrepancies in the dates contained in some documents, noting that one reportedly listed May 16 as the date of the primary, whereas the exercise was conducted on May 18.
“So which one did the court really dwell on?” he asked, questioning the documentary evidence involved in the dispute.
The former governor also addressed reports concerning his alleged arrest, saying he deliberately refrained from commenting when the news emerged.
“When the news broke out that I was arrested, I refused to make any comments,” he said.
Thursday’s judgment now places Okorocha in line for the APC ticket for Imo West, subject to the implementation of the court’s orders, and represents a significant setback for Uzodimma’s senatorial ambition ahead of the 2027 election.
