A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election. Furthermore, the court directed INEC to recognise and publish the name of former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday. He held that the evidence showed Okorocha secured the majority of votes at the party’s senatorial primary. Therefore, the judge declared him the rightful winner. Consequently, he ordered the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC for the election, which is scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Okorocha filed the suit against INEC, the APC and Uzodinma after the party replaced his name with the governor’s. His camp claims he won the May 18 direct primary with 150,780 votes, while Uzodinma scored 102,158. Moreover, he challenged INEC’s publication of the governor’s name.
Okorocha’s lawyer welcomed the ruling outside the court. “Firstly, we are happy,” he told reporters. He then recalled the weeks of media attacks against his client. “You recall in the last few weeks my client had been accused in the media that he forged documents,” the lawyer said. “But you have all heard the court.”
The lawyer also praised the judiciary. “Like he’s always said, the court is the last hope for the common man, even though my client is not a common man,” he said. In addition, he urged the public to recognise Okorocha’s decision to seek redress in court. “We should commend his courage for approaching the courts,” he added.
The lawyer also described his client’s attitude toward his opponents. According to him, Okorocha prays for Imo State and for the governor. “I’m surprised that he does it,” he said. Then he closed his remarks with thanks. “To God be the glory,” he said.
Okorocha’s son spoke next, and he focused on the forgery allegations. He said the judgment had settled the rumours about arrests and forged documents. “Since we are not the forgers, the question is, who is?” he asked.
He also hailed the court for resisting pressure. “Justice has been shown not to be a commodity,” he said. “It cannot be sold. It cannot be bought.” Besides that, he saluted the judiciary and described the earlier reports as an attempt to intimidate the judges. “I’m sure it was to untwist the judiciary, but they stood firm,” he said.
The ruling follows weeks of public conflict. Earlier, Okorocha said police tried to arrest him on a vacated magistrate’s warrant. He also rejected claims that he forged documents. Likewise, he said he would let the courts speak. Now the court has spoken in his favour, at least at this stage.
The APC in Imo State, however, has not accepted the outcome. Party officials insist that Uzodinma remains their candidate for Imo West. They also say they will challenge the judgment. As a result, the dispute will probably move to the Court of Appeal.
Meanwhile, the judgment has drawn attention from within the party. Former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje visited Okorocha to congratulate him. He described the ruling as a reason for celebration.
The case has also raised wider public questions. Many Nigerians now ask how a serving governor can seek a senatorial ticket before his tenure ends. They also ask whether the constitution allows it. Sojworldnews did not find those questions addressed in the reports of this judgment. Therefore, readers should treat them as open debate rather than settled law.
For now, the court’s order stands unless a higher court sets it aside. Okorocha’s team is celebrating, while the governor’s camp prepares its response. Sojworldnews will update this story as the appeal develops.
Leave a Reply