Court comot Imo govnor Uzodinma as APC senatorial candidate, declare Okorocha winner

Di federal high court for Abuja don comot di govnor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma as di senatorial candidate of di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for di Imo West Senatorial election wey go hapun for January 2027.

Court say make dem return former govnor Rochas Okorocha as di candidate for dat senatorial district.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu give di judgement on Thursday as e declare say na former govnor Okorocha be di winner of di APC primary election.

Egwuatu also give order make Uzodimma stop to dey parade imsef as di APC candidate for dat election.

Court say di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) put Okorocha name as di authentic candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.

Di judge rule say evidence bifor di court show say na Okorocha be di true-true winner of dat primar election wey hapun on 18 May 2026, no be Uzodimma.

Okorocha through im representative bin argue for court say Inec dey wrong to put for dia portal say na Uzodinma be di winner of di election.

According to di court, dem say di report of di Inec officers wey bin monitor di APC primary on 18 May 2026, show say na Okorocha win.

Case between Uzodinma and Okorocha

For August 2026, former govnor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, carry di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), di ruling All Progressives Congress and di current govnor Hope Uzodimma go court sake of di Imo West senatorial seat.

Okorocha ask di court to give Inec order make dem comot Uzodimma name as di candidate of di APC for dat senatorial election and put im name instead.

Di former two-time govnor of Imo State insist say na im win di primary election for di senatorial district, and say Inec dey wrong to put for dia portal say na Uzodinma win.

E claim say even di report of di Inec officers wey bin monitor di APC primary on 18 May 2026, show say na im win, and say Inec suppose dey bound by di report of dia own staff.

For di supporting affidavit wey dey signed by Amen Okorochas, wey be son to former govnor Rochas Okorocha and also im Personal Assistant on Political Matters, e claim say di former govnor get 150,780 votes for di primary election, while Uzodimma get only102,158 votes.

Di affidavit also point out say as di serving govano, Uzodimma tenure suppose expire on 14 January 2028, so e suppose still dey for office by di time dem go inaugurate di new senate cycle in 2027.

Therefore, oga Rochas Okorocha ask di court to determine dis following ogbonge issues:

How di judgement hapun

Justice Egwuatu on Thursday rule say na Okorocha be di lawful winner of di primary election wey Inec pipo bin also monitor, so APC bin violate section 29 and 32 of di Electoral Act and also dia own party guidelines for conducting primary elections, by forwarding Uzodimma name to Inec instead of Okorocha.

"Di publication of Hope Uzodimma name by INEC as di winner of di primary election dey wrongful and unlawful," di judge tok.

"Di INEC publication of di name of Hope Uzodimma on August 1 as APC Senatorial candidate for Imo West dey hereby set aside, and INEC dey ordered to restore di name of Rochas Okorocha."

Di trial judge also condemn di electoral commission for accepting Uzodimma nomination even though beta evidence dey to show say no be im win di primary election.

E tok say Inec suppose dey bound by di report of dia own officers wey monitor di election, and di report clearly show say na Okorocha emerge winner.

"Rochas Okorocha na di lawful winner and e dey entitled make dem submit im name to Inec," Justice Egwuatu tok.

Di judge also tok say di documents wey di APC bin tender bifor di court to justify why dem forward Uzodimma name to Inec, bin even further jeopardize dia case.

E tok say: "Majority of di documents wey di APC bin tender to support di purported nomination of Uzodimma, contradict each oda and e show say dem dey clearly fabricated for di unlawful purpose of nominating di 3rd respondent as candidate.

"In view of di doubt cast on di authenticity of di documents, di court no fit ascribe probative value to di purported documents."

According to Justice Egwuatu, one document by di APC tok say na option A4 dem use for di primary election, while anoda document from di APC National Working Committee claim say na consensus arrangement Uzodimma take emerge as candidate, and yet anoda document from member claim say na direct primary dem do.

Wetin di lawyers tok

Counsel to Okorocha, O.J Aboje tell tori pipo afta di court session say di judgement don vindicate di former govnor who, according to am, pipo bin dey accuse for social media say e forge Inec report to claim say na im win di primary election.

“Like dem dey always tok am, di court na di last hope for di common man, and even though my client no be common man, e don dey vindicated,” Aboje tok.

E neva dey clear weda Uzodimma and im lawyers go appeal dis judgement or not.

Senatorial elections for Nigeria go also hapun on 16 January 2027, di same day wey di presidential elections go also take place.

Controversy around Imo West senatorial seat

Many pipo bin dey surprise wen Govnor hope Uzodimma bin pick form say e wan contest for di 2027 senatorial election for Imo West.

Dis na bicos di govnor still get more dan one year remaining for im second tenure as gonor, and dat term suppose expire by January 2028, while di senatorial election na January 2027, and di inauguration of di new senate cycle go be around June or July of 2027.

Di govnor neva come out to explain how e want take do am bicos di Nigeria law no permit make pesin hold two elected offices for di same time.

Howeva, some sabi pipo dey analyse say weda di govnor go resign if e win di senatorial election, and allow im deputy to complete di remain period. Some unconfirmed tori dey even tok say Uzodimma fit dey eye di Senate President position for 2027.

On di oda hand, Okorocha dey struggle to get bak di Imo West senatorial seat wey e bin win as im tenure as govnor expire, but e later lose am to di Osita Izunaso wey dey currently represent dat senatorial district now for di National assembly.

Izunaso na padi man of Hope Uzodimma, so as di govnor declare interest say e wan contest for di seat, im no even pick form at all.