Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma to stop campaigning as the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Imo West Senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Justice Egwuatu issued the ruling on Thursday after declaring that Uzodinma lost the APC primary election held on May 18, which the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored.
The judge ruled that evidence presented to the court confirmed former Governor Rochas Okorocha won the majority of valid votes cast, declaring Okorocha the rightful winner of the primary.
Justice Egwuatu instructed the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to INEC as its official nominee for the Imo West senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections.
He further directed INEC to publish Okorocha’s candidate profile immediately as the legitimate APC flagbearer.
The judge determined that the party forged most of the documents used to nominate Uzodinma, violating both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Uzodinma, the current governor of Imo State, will complete his term on January 14, 2028.
Backstory…
The legal battle over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West has reopened a long-running political rivalry between Governor Hope Uzodimma and his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dispute centres on the APC primary election held on May 18, 2026, to select the party’s candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the exercise and the announced results recognised Uzodimma as the winner with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098, the former governor challenged the outcome in court, insisting that the official declaration did not reflect the valid result of the primary.
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