The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s recognition as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace his name with that of former governor Rochas Okorocha.
In his judgment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Uzodimma did not win the party’s senatorial primary held on 18 May 2026 and declared Okorocha the lawful winner of the exercise.
The judge ordered the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to INEC and restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for 16 January 2027.
Justice Egwuatu held that Uzodimma’s nomination violated Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act and failed to comply with the party’s primary election guidelines.
He also ruled that INEC acted unlawfully by publishing Uzodimma’s name as the winner of the primary on 1 August, ordering that the decision be set aside and Okorocha’s name restored.
The court faulted the electoral commission for accepting Uzodimma’s nomination despite what the judge described as substantial documentary evidence indicating that the governor had not won the primary.
Justice Egwuatu maintained that INEC was bound by the findings of its officials who monitored the exercise, which he said established Okorocha as the winner.
Court questions APC documents
The judge also raised concerns about inconsistencies in documents submitted by the APC to support Uzodimma’s nomination.
According to the judgment, different party documents gave conflicting accounts of how the primary was conducted. One indicated that the Option A4 voting method was used, while another attributed Uzodimma’s emergence to a consensus arrangement.
A separate document from another member of the party’s National Working Committee reportedly stated that a direct primary had taken place.
Justice Egwuatu questioned how votes could have been allocated to aspirants if, as one document claimed, the party had selected Uzodimma through consensus.
He said the contradictions cast doubt on the authenticity of the documents and that the court could not rely on them as credible evidence.
The judge further stated that documents signed, certified and released to Okorocha following a formal request showed that the former governor secured the majority of lawful votes cast across the 10 local government areas in Imo West.
On that basis, the court declared Okorocha entitled to have his name submitted to INEC as the APC’s candidate for the district.
Dispute over primary results
The legal battle followed conflicting claims about the outcome of the APC primary ahead of the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma had been declared the winner and recognized by INEC, which maintained that the official results showed the governor polled 230,464 votes, against Okorocha’s 1,098.
However, another document later circulated, purporting to show that Okorocha won the exercise with 150,780 votes.
The former governor subsequently filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma and asking the court to determine whether the commission had acted correctly.
The case also raised questions about Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the senatorial election while serving as governor, with Okorocha asking the court to consider the relevant constitutional provisions.
The latest judgment resolves the dispute at the trial court level in Okorocha’s favour, with orders directing both the APC and INEC to recognize him as the party’s candidate.
Okorocha’s camp welcomes judgment
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Okorocha’s lawyer, O.J. Aboje, described the judgment as a vindication of his client.
Aboje said Okorocha had faced accusations in the media that he forged documents relating to the primary, but argued that the court’s decision had addressed the dispute.
He also described the judiciary as the last hope for citizens seeking justice.
Amen Rochas, Okorocha’s son and Special Adviser on Political Matters, also praised the court, alleging that the circulation of fake news had been intended to influence the judicial process.
He commended the judiciary for what he described as standing firm despite the alleged pressure.
Amen also praised his father for remaining focused on President Bola Tinubu’s campaign despite the controversy surrounding the APC senatorial ticket.
