A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026. He ruled that former Imo governor Rochas Okorocha won the party’s senatorial primary held on May 18.
The judge ordered the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The court also directed INEC to remove Uzodimma’s name from the list of candidates and publish Okorocha as the party’s nominee. It further ordered Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the district.
Court Rules in Okorocha’s Favour
Justice Egwuatu held that the evidence presented during the case showed that Okorocha secured the majority of votes cast in the APC primary.
The ruling reverses the earlier recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate for Imo West.
Okorocha had approached the Federal High Court to challenge INEC’s decision to publish Uzodimma’s name as the APC nominee. He argued that the commission should recognise him as the rightful winner of the primary.
The former governor filed the suit in August 2026. He named INEC, Uzodimma and the APC as respondents.
Okorocha asked the court to set aside INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma. He also sought an order directing the commission to publish his name as the party’s candidate.
The court has now granted relief in his favour, ordering both the APC and INEC to recognise his candidacy.
INEC Had Earlier Recognised Uzodimma
The court’s decision follows a dispute over the outcome of the APC primary conducted on May 18.
After the exercise, the party’s primary election committee declared Uzodimma the winner. INEC subsequently published his name as the APC candidate for Imo West.
However, Okorocha challenged that outcome and maintained that he won the primary.
The dispute later intensified after a document circulated on social media, claiming that Okorocha had won the contest.
On October 10, INEC’s Imo State office said the document was fraudulent. The commission stated that its authentic report identified Uzodimma as the winner.
INEC also petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the disputed document.
That position differed from the evidence the court accepted in its October 29 judgment. The judge ruled that the evidence before the court established Okorocha as the winner of the primary.
Okorocha and Uzodimma’s Political Background
Okorocha governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019. He later represented Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023.
Uzodimma became governor in January 2020 and won a second term in the 2023 governorship election. He began that second term in January 2024.
Their contest for the APC senatorial ticket created a political and legal dispute over who should represent the party in Imo West.
The senatorial election is scheduled for January 16, 2027. The latest judgment places Okorocha in line to contest the seat on the APC platform, subject to the implementation of the court’s orders and any further legal developments.
What the Judgment Means for the 2027 Election
The ruling directs the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC and requires the electoral commission to publish him as the party’s candidate.
It also bars Uzodimma from continuing to present himself as the APC nominee for the district.
The decision marks a major development in the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections. It overturns the earlier recognition of Uzodimma and gives Okorocha the nomination he sought through the court.
The APC and INEC must now respond to the court’s directives. Any further legal proceedings could also affect the next steps in the dispute.
For now, the Federal High Court has ruled in Okorocha’s favour and ordered the relevant parties to recognise him as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.
