Court declares Okorocha APC candidate for Imo West, orders INEC to replace Uzodimma

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace the name of incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma with his.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order on Thursday after ruling that Uzodimma did not win the party’s senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.

The judge held that the evidence before the court established that Okorocha secured the highest number of votes in the primary and was therefore entitled to be recognised as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election.

The court consequently directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC for publication as its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District, also known as Orlu Zone.

The judgment followed a suit filed by Okorocha on August 13, 2026, challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate.

Bar & Bench Watch reports that the legal dispute is the latest chapter in the longstanding rivalry between Okorocha and his successor, Uzodimma, over political influence and control of the APC in Imo State.

Okorocha governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and represented Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023.

Uzodimma, who represented the same district in the Senate from 2011 to 2019, became governor in January 2020 and secured a second term in 2023.

The rivalry between the two politicians dates back to the 2019 APC governorship primary, when Okorocha supported his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as his preferred successor, while Uzodimma pursued the governorship ticket with the backing of other party power brokers.

Their disagreement subsequently became part of a broader struggle over the leadership of the party in the state.

The latest confrontation began when both men sought the APC ticket for Imo West ahead of the 2027 elections.

At the May 18 primary, the party’s election committee declared Uzodimma the winner with 230,464 votes, against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.

Uzodimma’s name was subsequently recognised by INEC as the party’s candidate.

However, Okorocha challenged the outcome, maintaining that the primary results and reports from electoral officials supported his claim to victory.

The dispute escalated in October when INEC’s Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, petitioned the Department of State Services and the police over a disputed primary result document circulating publicly.

The commission described the document purporting to show Okorocha as the winner as fictitious and maintained that its official report identified Uzodimma as the winner.

The Federal High Court’s judgment has now ruled in Okorocha’s favour, directing the party and INEC to recognise him as its candidate.

The ruling resolves the immediate dispute before the court over the APC ticket, although any subsequent appeal or further legal proceedings could affect the final status of the nomination.

The January 16, 2027 election will determine who represents Imo West in the Senate, subject to the final resolution of any outstanding legal issues concerning the party’s nomination.