Court Sacks Uzodimma as APC Senatorial Candidate for Imo West, Declares Okorocha Winner

The 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 election and ordered the recognition of former governor Rochas Okorocha.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that evidence before the court showed that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.

The judge consequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish Okorocha’s name as the party’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The court also ordered Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC’s candidate for the contest and directed the party to forward Okorocha’s name to the electoral commission.

The judgment followed a suit filed by Okorocha challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the party’s primary. The former governor had argued that the result declared by the party did not reflect the actual outcome of the exercise.

The dispute arose after the APC’s primary election committee announced Uzodimma as the winner, reportedly with 230,464 votes. Okorocha challenged the result, maintaining that he secured the highest number of votes.

The case also raised questions about Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the senatorial election while serving as governor, given that his second term is scheduled to end in January 2028.

Okorocha governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and later represented Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023. He is now seeking a return to the National Assembly.

The ruling represents a significant development in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections. However, further legal proceedings, including a possible appeal, could affect the final outcome of the dispute.