R-L: Photo combo showing Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and Senator Rochas Okorocha.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial election and declared former governor Rochas Okorocha the winner of the party’s primary.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the evidence before the court showed Okorocha secured the majority of valid votes in the APC primary conducted on May 18 and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The judge ordered Uzodinma to immediately stop presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027, senatorial election.
He also directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its candidate for the poll.
The suit followed a dispute over the outcome of the party’s primary election in Imo West Senatorial District.
The judgment is expected to reshape the APC’s political calculations in Imo State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The ruling also underscores the judiciary’s role in resolving pre-election disputes and ensuring that political parties comply with electoral laws.
