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By Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the recognition of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore the name of former governor Rochas Okorocha.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu also restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election, holding that he did not win the APC primary of May 18, 2026, which INEC monitored.
The judge declared Okorocha the lawful winner of the primary and directed the APC to submit his name to INEC as its candidate.
Nomination breached Electoral Act
Justice Egwuatu held that Uzodimma’s nomination violated Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act and failed to comply with the APC’s guidelines for conducting primaries.
He described it as unlawful and fraudulent for the party to forward the governor’s name to INEC as winner of a primary he did not win.
“The publication of Hope Uzodimma’s name by INEC as the winner of the primary election is wrongful and unlawful,” the judge held.
He set aside INEC’s August 1 publication of Uzodimma as the APC candidate and ordered the commission to replace it with Okorocha’s name. “Rochas Okorocha is the lawful winner and is entitled to have his name submitted to INEC,” he declared.
The court also faulted INEC for accepting Uzodimma’s nomination despite what the judge called overwhelming documentary evidence that he was not the lawful winner.
According to Justice Egwuatu, INEC was bound by the report of its own officials, which clearly showed that Okorocha won.
Documents branded fabricated
Reviewing the evidence, the judge questioned the authenticity and consistency of the documents the APC tendered to justify Uzodimma’s nomination.
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“Majority of the documents tendered by APC to support the purported nomination of Uzodimma (3rd respondent) contradicts each other indicating that they were clearly fabricated for the unlawful purpose of nominating the 3rd respondent as candidate,” he said, adding that the court could not ascribe probative value to them.
By contrast, documents signed, certified and released to Okorocha after a formal request showed that he secured the majority of lawful votes cast across the 10 local government areas of the senatorial district.
Justice Egwuatu pointed to contradictions in the accounts given by APC officials on how the primary was conducted. One document indicated that Option A4 was used; another, from a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), claimed a consensus arrangement produced Uzodimma; while a third, from a different NWC member, said a direct primary was held.
The judge described the discrepancies as significant, particularly because votes were reportedly allocated to aspirants despite the claim that Uzodimma emerged by consensus.
The case arose from conflicting claims over the outcome of the primary. INEC recognised Uzodimma as winner, maintaining that official results showed he polled 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098.
A separate document later circulated, purporting to show that Okorocha won with 150,780 votes.
Okorocha then filed suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, challenging the outcome and INEC’s recognition of the governor. The suit also questioned Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the 2027 senatorial election while serving as governor, and asked the court to consider the relevant constitutional provisions.
Speaking with journalists after the judgment, Okorocha’s counsel, O.J. Aboje, said it vindicated his client, who had been accused in the media of forging results.
“You have all heard the court,” he said. “Like it’s always said, the court is the last hope for the common man, even though my client is not a common man. He has been vindicated.”
Okorocha’s son and Special Adviser on Political Matters, Amen Rochas, commended the judiciary for standing firm despite what he alleged were attempts to arm-twist the courts with fake news. He also praised his father for staying focused on President Bola Tinubu’s campaign despite the pressure arising from the dispute.
