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 2027 general elections.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the name of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday, October 29, 2026, by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who held that evidence presented before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
The judge consequently directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its duly nominated candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.
The court also ordered Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the senatorial election, following the dispute over the outcome of the party’s primary.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Okorocha challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the APC senatorial primary.
Background: How the Dispute Started
The legal battle began after the APC conducted its National Assembly primary election on May 18, 2026, to select its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Following the exercise, the party’s primary election committee, chaired by Williams Kayode, announced Uzodimma as the winner, with 230,464 votes.
However, Okorocha challenged the outcome, insisting that he won the primary election and questioning the basis on which Uzodimma was recognised as the party’s candidate.
The former governor subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge INEC’s decision to publish Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, was filed on August 13, 2026, through Okorocha’s counsel, O.J. Aboje. The APC and Uzodimma were also listed as respondents in the case.
In the suit, Okorocha asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound to consider the reports of its officials who monitored the APC primary election when determining the party’s validly nominated candidate.
He also sought an order setting aside INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma and directing the electoral commission to publish his name as the party’s rightful candidate for the senatorial contest.
Okorocha further challenged Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the election while serving as governor of Imo State, citing Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which restricts a sitting governor from holding another executive office or paid employment during his tenure.
Conflicting Claims Over Primary Results
Before the judgment, the dispute centred on conflicting claims regarding the outcome of the APC primary election.
While the party’s primary election committee declared Uzodimma the winner with 230,464 votes, Okorocha maintained that he won the exercise.
In his court action, the former governor alleged that he secured 150,780 votes against Uzodimma’s 102,158 votes.
The disagreement over the results prompted Okorocha to seek judicial intervention, challenging the validity of INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate.
The legal dispute also attracted further attention in October when INEC’s Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, petitioned the Department of State Services and the police over a document circulating on social media that purportedly identified Okorocha as the winner of the primary.
INEC described the document as fictitious and maintained that its official report had identified Uzodimma as the winner of the exercise.
The commission called for an investigation into the circulation of the disputed document.
The latest court judgment has now altered the position following the legal challenge brought by Okorocha.
What the Judgment Means for the 2027 Election
The ruling places Okorocha in line to represent the APC in the contest for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, subject to any further legal developments.
It also represents a significant setback for Uzodimma’s senatorial ambition, as the court has directed him to stop presenting himself as the party’s candidate.
Okorocha previously served as governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and represented the state in the Senate from 2019 to 2023.
Uzodimma, who began his second term as governor in January 2024, is expected to remain in office until January 2028, raising questions during the dispute about the overlap between his gubernatorial tenure and the commencement of the next Senate.
The latest judgment brings the dispute over the APC’s Imo West senatorial ticket to a new stage, with INEC and the party expected to act in accordance with the court’s orders, subject to any subsequent legal proceedings.
