A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, dealt a legal blow to incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma, who had been recognised as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.
The judge directed Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the district and ordered the party to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC for the election.
Justice Egwuatu held that the evidence before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, which was monitored by INEC.
The judgment followed a legal battle instituted by Okorocha, who challenged the recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s flagbearer and questioned the validity of the primary outcome.
The dispute arose after INEC’s official record showed Uzodimma as the winner of the primary with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha was credited with just 1,098 votes.
Rejecting the outcome, Okorocha approached the court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, challenging the electoral commission’s position and raising questions about Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the senatorial seat while serving as governor.
The court’s decision now places the APC’s Imo West ticket at the centre of a fresh political and legal dispute ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ruling also raises questions about the party’s next steps in implementing the judgment and whether any appeal or further legal action will follow.
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