By Oxford Reporters
The Federal High Court in Abuja has reportedly ruled in favour of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in a legal dispute over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The reported judgment, delivered by Justice Egwuatu of Court 11 of the Federal High Court, declared Okorocha the APC candidate for the senatorial district and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish his name.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Okorocha challenging the recognition of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the APC candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election.
The case stemmed from the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, during which Uzodimma was declared the winner of the contest.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Okorocha approached the court to challenge the primary election results and INEC’s decision to recognise Uzodimma as the party’s candidate.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, listed INEC, Uzodimma and the APC as respondents. Okorocha filed the originating summons on August 13, 2026, through his counsel, O.J. Aboje.
In his application, the former governor asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by the reports of its officials who monitored the APC primary and whether the commission acted lawfully by publishing Uzodimma’s name as the party’s candidate.
Okorocha also raised constitutional questions concerning Uzodimma’s reported senatorial ambition while serving as governor of Imo State. He argued that the governor’s tenure, which began in January 2024, would not end until January 2028, whereas the 11th National Assembly was expected to be inaugurated in June 2027.
He relied on Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which restricts a sitting governor from holding another executive office or paid employment while in office, as part of his legal argument.
The former governor consequently asked the court to set aside the publication of Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate and direct INEC to recognise and publish his own name as the party’s duly nominated candidate.
In an affidavit attached to the suit, Amen Rochas, Okorocha’s son, alleged that his father 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 report.
The reported judgment represents a significant development in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections in Imo State, particularly regarding the contest for the Imo West senatorial seat.
However, the available report did not provide the full text of the judgment or the court’s detailed findings. The specific scope of the orders and any subsequent legal steps therefore require confirmation from the certified judgment or an official court record.
It is also important to clarify that the reported ruling concerns the APC senatorial candidacy for Imo West and does not, on the information provided, establish that Governor Hope Uzodimma has been removed from office as governor of Imo State.
