A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of former Governor Rochas Okorocha as the authentic candidate for the 2027 election.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
The court held that Uzodimma did not win the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and monitored by INEC.
Justice Egwuatu ruled that evidence before the court established that Okorocha won the majority of votes cast and was therefore the rightful winner of the primary.
Court Orders:
1. INEC to immediately recognise and publish Rochas Okorocha’s name as the APC candidate for Imo West for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.
2. APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its duly nominated candidate.
3. Governor Uzodimma to stop parading himself as the APC candidate for Imo West.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, was filed by Okorocha in August, challenging INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name. He alleged that while the APC Primary Election Committee Chairman, Williams Kayode, declared Uzodimma winner with 230,464 votes, the true result showed he (Okorocha) polled 150,780 votes against Uzodimma’s 102,158.
Justice Egwuatu held that INEC’s own monitoring report supported Okorocha’s claim.
Okorocha, who was Imo Governor from 2011 to 2019 and Senator for Imo West from 2019 to 2023, is now officially the APC flagbearer for Imo West, pending any appeal by Governor Uzodimma.
