Abuja, 29 October 2026 – A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected Governor Hope Uzodinma’s claim to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Imo West Senatorial District and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the 2027 elections.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, brought by Okorocha against INEC, the APC and Governor Uzodinma. The court held that evidence established Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary election held on 18 May 2026 and monitored by INEC.
Justice Egwuatu ordered the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its duly nominated candidate. He also directed the governor to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for 16 January 2027. The court further instructed INEC to publish Okorocha’s name accordingly.
The ruling stems from a long-running dispute over the outcome of the Imo West primary. The APC’s returning officer, Rear Admiral Williams Kayode (rtd.), had declared Governor Uzodinma the winner with 230,464 votes, recording only 1,098 votes for Okorocha. Okorocha, however, challenged the result, asserting that he secured 150,780 votes against Uzodinma’s 102,158.
In addition to contesting the vote tally, Okorocha raised questions about the governor’s eligibility under Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which restricts a sitting governor from holding another executive office or paid employment during their term. Uzodinma’s second term as governor runs until January 2028, overlapping with the expected inauguration of the next Senate.
Okorocha, who governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and represented Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023, filed the originating summons in August 2026 after INEC published Uzodinma’s name as the APC candidate. The parties had previously raised preliminary objections, including arguments that the suit was statute-barred, which the court considered before delivering its final judgment.
By A.Ikechukwu
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