A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the recognition of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as 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 his name with that of former governor Rochas Okorocha.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026, holding that Uzodimma did not win the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
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The judge declared Okorocha the lawful winner of the primary and directed the APC to submit his name to INEC for the January 16, 2027 election.
Justice Egwuatu also restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s senatorial candidate for the district, ruling that his nomination violated Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act and failed to comply with the APC’s primary election guidelines.
The court consequently set aside INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate, describing the decision as wrongful and unlawful.
In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu criticised the documents submitted by the APC to support Uzodimma’s nomination, citing inconsistencies in the accounts of how the primary was conducted.
The judge noted that one document indicated that Option A4 was used during the exercise, while another suggested that Uzodimma emerged through a consensus arrangement.
A separate document reportedly claimed that a direct primary had been conducted.
He said the conflicting accounts raised serious questions about the authenticity of the party’s documents.
“Majority of the documents tendered by APC to support the purported nomination of Uzodimma (3rd respondent) contradict each other, indicating that they were clearly fabricated for the unlawful purpose of nominating the 3rd respondent as candidate,” the judge said.
Justice Egwuatu added that the court could not attach evidential value to documents whose authenticity had been called into question.
He further held that documents signed, certified and released to Okorocha following a formal request indicated that the former governor secured the majority of lawful votes cast across the 10 local government areas in the senatorial district.
The judge also faulted INEC for accepting Uzodimma’s nomination despite what he described as documentary evidence showing that the governor was not the lawful winner of the primary.
The dispute followed conflicting claims over the outcome of the APC primary for Imo West Senatorial District.
INEC had recognised Uzodimma as the winner, with official results reportedly showing that the governor polled 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.
However, a separate document later circulated, purporting to show that Okorocha won the primary with 150,780 votes.
Okorocha subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, challenging Uzodimma’s recognition and asking the court to determine whether INEC had acted lawfully in accepting his nomination.
The suit 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.
Following the judgment, counsel to Okorocha, O.J. Aboje, described the ruling as a vindication of his client, who he said had faced allegations of forging documents during the dispute.
“Firstly, we’re happy. You recall that in the last few weeks my client has been accused in the media of forging documents; he did this, he did all that. But you have all heard the court,” Aboje said.
He added that the judgment had vindicated the former governor amid the controversy surrounding the primary results.
Okorocha’s son, Amen Rochas, who serves as his father’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, also commended the judiciary following the ruling.
He alleged that the circulation of fake news during the dispute was intended to influence the court but said the judiciary had remained firm.
Amen Rochas also praised his father for remaining focused on President Bola Tinubu’s campaign despite the pressure arising from the dispute.
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The judgment places the APC’s Imo West senatorial nomination at the centre of a significant political development ahead of the 2027 general elections, with INEC directed to replace Uzodimma’s name with Okorocha’s in the party’s candidate listing.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
