‘Most politicians are imposed on voters’ – Okorocha

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has alleged that many Nigerian politicians occupying public offices did not emerge through the genuine choice of voters, arguing that the country’s democratic process has been undermined by the imposition of candidates.

Okorocha made the assertion during an interview with Arise News on Thursday while reacting to the Federal High Court judgment that nullified Governor Hope Uzodimma’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections.

The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Okorocha as the winner of the party’s May 18 primary.

The former governor said Nigeria’s state of democracy meant that many current officeholders would struggle to retain their positions if elections reflected voters’ genuine wishes.

“If democracy is practised the way it should be practised, 90 per cent of people holding office in Nigeria cannot hold office,” he said.

He argued that candidates often emerged imposed on the electorate rather than through a credible democratic process.

“Most of them are not truly the choice of people. These are people who are imposed, opportunists, who find their way,” Okorocha said.

He described the court judgment as significant beyond his personal contest with Uzodimma, saying it raised wider concerns about the conduct of party primaries and the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

“My joy is not on the basis that I was declared a winner, but for the fact that so many misinformations paraded in the news media,” he said.

Okorocha maintained that the evidence supporting his position was clear, adding, “The facts are too glaring.”

On conflicting records of the Imo West primary results, including figures that credited Uzodimma with 230,464 votes and Okorocha with 1,098 votes, while another document showed Okorocha with 150,780 votes, the former governor defended his position.

He said he obtained certified documents from INEC on July 22, 2026, and questioned the emergence of another document dated August 22, 2026, which he attributed to Uzodimma.

Uzodimma has said he will appeal the court judgment.

Okorocha insisted that the dispute was not simply about his political ambition but about protecting the interests of voters.

“It’s about the people,” he said.