A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma from presenting himself as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.
It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of former governor Rochas Okorocha instead.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that Okorocha won the party’s 18 May primary but was denied the victory. The seat is to be contested in an election scheduled for 16 January 2027.
Okorocha sued INEC, the APC and Uzodimma after the governor’s name replaced his as the party’s candidate.
He argued that name the substitution was Unlawful and breached the Constitution and the Electoral Act. INEC, the APC and Uzodimma said the governor won the primary and asked the court to throw out the case as statute-barred.
The court rejected that argument. It held that the cause of action arose on 1 August, when INEC published Uzodimma’s name, so Okorocha filed within the 14 days allowed by law. It also dismissed the claim that he should have appealed the primary’s outcome, asking how a winner could challenge his own victory.
On the substance, the judge found that the documents the defendants offered to show Uzodimma’s nomination contradicted one another and were fabricated after it became clear that Okorocha had won.
The court gave them no weight. It also rejected the forgery allegation against Okorocha, noting that the defendants never produced authentic documents to support it.
Justice Egwuatu further faulted the APC for refusing, despite repeated requests, to give Okorocha the INEC form he needed to be registered as a candidate. He called this a calculated attempt to deny him his victory. The court declared the substitution inconsistent with the law and the party’s constitution, and held that INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name was wrongful.
The court ordered that Okorocha’s name be forwarded to INEC and published, and barred Uzodimma from parading himself as the APC candidate.
The Imo State APC has insisted that Uzodimma remains its candidate despite the judgment and has vowed legal action. State Publicity Secretary Onwuasoanya FCC Jones said the party stands by the governor. APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, however, visited Okorocha after the ruling and described the decision as a reason to celebrate.
Stakeholders urged Uzodimma to respect the ruling.
Imo APC Vows Legal Action After Court Declares Okorocha Senatorial Candidate, Insists Uzodimma Remains Its Flagbearer.
Okorocha’s son and political adviser, Amen Rochas, praised the judiciary and said it had stood firm despite alleged attempts to pressure it through fake news.
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