Why Court Removed Uzodimma as APC’s Imo West Senate Candidate, Backed Okorocha
The Federal High Court removed Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the APC’s Imo West senatorial candidate after ruling that former governor Rochas Okorocha, not Uzodimma, won the party’s primary election.
The dispute began after the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted its senatorial primary election on May 18, 2026, to select its candidate for Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party declared Uzodimma the winner and forwarded his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, Okorocha challenged the outcome, claiming that the result submitted to the electoral commission did not reflect the actual votes cast.
On October 29, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in Okorocha’s favour, ordering the APC to forward his name to INEC as its candidate for the senatorial district. The judge also directed Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the party’s nominee.
What happened during the APC primary?
The disagreement centres on two conflicting accounts of the May 18 primary election.
According to an affidavit filed by Okorocha’s son, Amen Rochas, who serves as his father’s personal assistant on political matters, the former governor won the primary with 150,780 votes, while Uzodimma scored 102,158 votes.
However, the APC’s election committee presented a different result. Lucky Ajokperiniovo, who said he participated in the committee that conducted the election, maintained that Uzodimma won with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha received 1,098 votes.
The committee’s position was that votes were recorded at polling venues, collated at local government centres and transmitted to the senatorial district returning officer before the final result was declared.
INEC also maintained that its officials monitored the primary and submitted a report identifying Uzodimma as the winner.
These conflicting accounts formed the basis of the legal dispute. Okorocha argued that the electoral commission should recognise the reports of its officials who monitored the primary rather than publish Uzodimma’s name as the winner.
Why did Okorocha take the matter to court?
Okorocha filed the suit on August 13, 2026, challenging INEC’s decision to publish Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate for Imo West.
He asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by the reports of its officials who monitored the primary and whether the commission acted lawfully by recognising Uzodimma.
He also sought an order compelling the APC to submit his name and directing INEC to recognise him as the party’s duly nominated candidate.
The governor, the APC and INEC opposed the suit.
Their lawyers argued that the case was filed outside the 14-day period prescribed by Section 285(9) of the Nigerian Constitution for pre-election matters. They asked the court to dismiss it as statute-barred.
INEC also denied that its official had signed some of the documents Okorocha submitted as evidence.
Despite the objections, Justice Egwuatu ruled that the evidence before the court established that Okorocha won the primary. The court consequently ordered the APC to submit his name to INEC.
What happens to Uzodimma’s Senate ambition?
The ruling is a setback for Uzodimma’s plan to contest the Imo West senatorial seat in 2027.
The governor is serving his second term, which is expected to end in January 2028. If he eventually wins the Senate seat and takes it up when the new National Assembly is inaugurated in June 2027, he would have to leave the governorship before completing his tenure.
However, the dispute may continue. The APC in Imo State has indicated that it will study the judgment before deciding on an appeal.
The ruling therefore does not necessarily end the contest for the party’s ticket. Any appeal and subsequent court decisions could affect the final outcome.