The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections. The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in a suit filed by Okorocha challenging Uzodimma’s recognition as the APC’s senatorial candidate. The ruling represents a significant development in the political contest for the Imo West seat ahead of the next general elections.
The dispute arose from the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026. Okorocha challenged the declaration and subsequent recognition of Uzodimma as the winner, maintaining that the primary-election records supported his own claim to the party’s ticket.
In its judgment, the court reportedly held that the evidence before it established that Okorocha secured the majority of votes cast at the primary. It consequently directed the APC to forward his name to INEC as its duly nominated candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election.
The case had attracted considerable attention because the two politicians offered sharply conflicting accounts of the primary’s outcome. Earlier court filings indicated that Okorocha claimed to have won the contest, while Uzodimma and the APC maintained that the governor had emerged victorious. INEC also opposed Okorocha’s challenge.
The dispute had also raised questions about the constitutional implications of a sitting governor seeking election to the Senate before the expiration of his tenure. Uzodimma began his second term as governor in January 2024, with his tenure expected to end in January 2028, while the next Senate is scheduled to be inaugurated in 2027.
For the APC, the judgment introduces a significant legal and political challenge in Imo State. The party must contend with the implications of the court’s orders as the nomination dispute moves into its next phase. The ruling could also affect political calculations within the party in the state, depending on any subsequent legal developments.
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