Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, to immediately stop presenting himself as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Imo West Senatorial election slated for January 16, 2027.
Justice Egwuatu issued the order after holding that Uzodinma did not win the May 18 primary election conducted by the APC and monitored by INEC.
Delivering judgment, the Judge held that the evidence presented before the court proved that former governor Rochas Okorocha actually won the majority of the votes cast at the poll and should be declared the winner of the election.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently ordered the APC to forward Okorocha’s name as the candidate of the APC in the 2027 general elections for the Imo West Senatorial election.
Okorocha had approached the court after the APC’s May 18, 2026, senatorial primary, challenging the declaration of Uzodimma as the winner of the contest.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, listed INEC, Uzodimma and the APC as respondents.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELOkorocha had filed the originating summons on August 13, 2026, through his counsel, O.J. Aboje.
The former governor asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by the reports of its officials who monitored the APC primary election and whether the commission acted lawfully by publishing Uzodimma’s name as the party’s candidate.
In the suit, Okorocha argued that Uzodimma’s candidacy raised constitutional questions because his tenure as governor would not expire until January 2028, while the 11th National Assembly was scheduled to be inaugurated in June 2027.
He cited Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that a sitting governor cannot hold another executive office or paid employment while in office.
Okorocha asked the court to declare the publication of Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate wrongful and unconstitutional, set aside the publication and direct INEC to recognise and publish his name as the party’s duly nominated candidate.
He also sought an order restraining Uzodimma, the APC or anyone acting on their behalf from presenting the governor as the party’s candidate for the election.
In the affidavit attached to the suit, Amen Rochas, the former governor’s son, alleged that Okorocha won the May 18 primary with 150,780 votes, while Uzodimma scored 102,158 votes.
However, Williams Kayode, chairman and returning officer of the APC’s 2026 Imo National Assembly Primary Election Committee, had declared Uzodimma the winner with 230,464 votes, according to the August report.
The reported judgment could have significant political implications for the APC in Imo State ahead of the 2027 general election.
Uzodimma was sworn in for a second term as governor in January 2024, with his tenure scheduled to end in January 2028.
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