The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has maintained that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election, despite a Federal High Court judgment recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s validly nominated candidate.
The party said its legal department would study the judgment before deciding on its next course of action, insisting that Uzodimma won the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, following the judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish Okorocha’s name as the APC candidate for Imo West ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Imo APC Reaffirms Uzodimma’s Candidacy
Reacting to the judgment, the Imo APC maintained that Uzodimma secured the party’s ticket through a legitimate primary election.
The party also dismissed reports circulating on social media suggesting that the governor had been replaced as its senatorial candidate.
“The party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our party members,” the statement said.
However, the party indicated that it would examine the court’s decision before taking further action.
“The party’s legal department shall study the outcome of a legal intervention in this matter and act accordingly,” Jones said.
The APC urged its members and supporters to remain calm and continue preparing for the 2027 elections, insisting that the legal dispute should not distract them from the party’s activities across Imo State.
Why The Court Recognised Okorocha
The judgment followed a suit filed by Okorocha challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the APC candidate for Imo West.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, the former governor questioned the commission’s decision to publish Uzodimma’s name as the winner of the May 18 senatorial primary.
Okorocha argued that reports attributed to INEC officials who monitored the exercise supported his claim that he won the contest.
Delivering judgment, Justice Egwuatu held that the evidence before the court established that Okorocha secured the majority of votes cast and was entitled to the party’s ticket.
The judge consequently directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC and ordered the commission to publish him as the validly nominated candidate.
The ruling concerns the APC’s senatorial nomination and does not remove Uzodimma from his position as governor of Imo State.
Conflicting Claims Over Primary Results
The dispute centres on competing accounts of the outcome of the May 18 primary election.
According to court-related reports, Okorocha relied on documents concerning the conduct of the exercise, including reports attributed to INEC officials who monitored the process.
However, the APC and Uzodimma disputed his claims and maintained that the governor won the primary.
They also challenged the suit on legal grounds, arguing that it was filed outside the constitutionally prescribed 14-day period for challenging a primary election.
A representative of the primary election committee, in an affidavit, said Uzodimma won with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha received 1,098 votes.
The representative maintained that officials collated results from the polling venues through ward and local government levels before submitting the final outcome.
The court ultimately accepted the evidence supporting Okorocha’s case and ruled in his favour.
The conflicting accounts have placed the party’s nomination process at the centre of a legal dispute that remains relevant to the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
Uzodimma And Okorocha’s Political Rivalry Resurfaces
The judgment has renewed attention on the political rivalry between Uzodimma and Okorocha, both of whom have represented Imo West in the Senate.
Okorocha governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019 before representing the senatorial district from 2019 to 2023.
Uzodimma became governor in January 2020 and began his second term in January 2024.
The dispute over the APC ticket concerns Uzodimma’s reported plan to return to the Senate after completing his tenure as governor.
For now, the Imo APC says it will study the judgment before deciding whether to pursue an appeal or take another legal step.
The final outcome of the dispute will determine the party’s next steps regarding its nomination for the Imo West senatorial election in 2027.
