The Federal High Court in Abuja has dealt a major blow to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s senatorial ambition, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace his name with that of former governor Rochas Okorocha as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the evidence presented before the court showed that Okorocha secured the majority of votes in the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026. The judge consequently restrained Uzodimma from parading himself as the party’s candidate for the district.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, was filed by Okorocha in August to challenge the declaration of Uzodimma as the winner of the primary. In May, the chairman and returning officer of the APC primary election committee, Williams Kayode, had declared the sitting governor winner with 230,464 votes.
However, Justice Egwuatu ruled that Uzodimma’s nomination violated Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act and failed to comply with the APC’s guidelines for conducting primary elections. He also faulted INEC for accepting Uzodimma’s nomination despite documentary evidence which, according to the court, showed that Okorocha won the contest.
The judge further observed that several documents tendered by the APC to support Uzodimma’s nomination were contradictory and lacked sufficient evidential value. He held that INEC was bound by the reports of its officials who monitored the primary, which indicated that Okorocha secured the majority of votes across the 10 local government areas in the senatorial district.
Consequently, the court set aside INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate on August 1 and ordered the commission to restore Okorocha’s name. The ruling marks a significant development in the battle for the APC ticket ahead of the 2027 elections, although any subsequent appeal or further court proceedings could affect the final outcome.
