A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma to stop presenting himself as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
The court, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, ruled on Thursday, October 29, 2026, that former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary election held on May 18, 2026.
The judge consequently directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the senatorial district. INEC was also ordered to recognise and publish Okorocha’s name as the party’s candidate.
The judgment followed a legal challenge filed by Okorocha, who disputed Uzodinma’s recognition as the APC candidate for the January 2027 senatorial election.
The dispute centred on the outcome of the APC primary election conducted to select the party’s candidate for Imo West, also known as Orlu Senatorial District.
Okorocha approached the court after INEC published Uzodinma’s name as the party’s candidate, arguing that the commission should have relied on the reports of officials who monitored the primary election.
In the suit, Okorocha asked the court to set aside Uzodinma’s recognition and direct the electoral commission to publish his own name as the validly nominated candidate.
The court ruled in his favour, holding that the evidence presented established that Okorocha secured the majority of lawful votes cast during the primary.
The decision marks a major development in the political contest between the two prominent Imo politicians, whose rivalry has continued to shape the state’s political landscape.
Uzodinma and the APC opposed Okorocha’s case, arguing that the suit was filed outside the time limit prescribed for challenging primary election results.
Their legal representatives maintained that Uzodinma won the primary conducted by the party and that the process complied with the applicable rules.
INEC also opposed Okorocha’s claims, stating in its court filings that its officials monitored the primary and reported Uzodinma as the winner.
The conflicting accounts formed part of the issues considered in the case before Justice Egwuatu delivered judgment.
The ruling directs the APC and INEC to recognise Okorocha as the party’s candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections.
Uzodinma, who is serving his second term as Imo State governor, now faces a significant legal and political setback in his bid for the Senate seat.
The judgment could also have wider implications for the relationship between party primary results, election-monitoring reports and the official nomination of candidates.
Any further legal challenge or development could affect the final resolution of the dispute ahead of the election.