The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to stop presenting himself as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election scheduled for January 16, 2027. Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued the order after ruling that Uzodinma did not win the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026. The court found that former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, won the majority of votes cast during the primary election.
Okorocha had filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the commission's publication of Uzodinma's name as the APC candidate for the senatorial district. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, listed Uzodinma and the APC as respondents. Okorocha's counsel, O.J. Aboje, filed the originating summons at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026. Okorocha served as governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and represented the state in the Senate from 2019 to 2023.
The APC senatorial primary was held on May 18, 2026, and was monitored by INEC. Williams Kayode, chairman and returning officer of the 2026 Imo APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, had declared Uzodinma the winner of the contest with 230,464 votes. However, Okorocha challenged the outcome, alleging that he won the primary with 150,780 votes, while Uzodinma scored 102,158 votes.
Okorocha asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by the reports of its officials who monitored the APC primary conducted on May 18. He also sought a determination of whether INEC acted wrongly by publishing Uzodinma's name as the winner of the primary, citing Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution. The provision states that a governor cannot hold another executive office or engage in paid employment while in office.
The court ruled that INEC's publication of Uzodinma's name as the APC candidate was wrongful. The judge held that Uzodinma's tenure as governor, which began in January 2024 and is expected to end in January 2028, made him ineligible to contest the senatorial election. The court consequently ordered the APC to submit Okorocha's name to INEC as its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election in the 2027 general elections.
Uzodinma's eligibility to contest the senatorial election had generated debate due to his tenure as governor extending beyond the inauguration of the 11th Senate in June 2027. Okorocha's son, Amen Rochas, alleged in an affidavit attached to the suit that Uzodinma purchased the nomination forms for the senatorial ticket despite his tenure as governor extending beyond the inauguration of the 11th Senate.
The court's ruling has implications for the Imo West Senatorial District election scheduled for January 16, 2027. The APC will now have to submit Okorocha's name to INEC as its candidate, while Uzodinma will no longer be eligible to contest the election. The development may also have implications for Uzodinma's political career and future aspirations.
Key points
- Court rules Governor Hope Uzodinma did not win APC senatorial primary
- Rochas Okorocha to be submitted as APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District election
- Uzodinma's tenure as governor makes him ineligible to contest senatorial election
