WorldStage— 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.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Justice Obiora Egwuatu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately publish the name of the former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, as the authentic flag-bearer for the party.
The court further issued a restraining order directing Governor Uzodimma to stop parading or presenting himself as the APC candidate for the upcoming legislative election.
The ruling stems from a legal battle instituted by Okorocha under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026.
In his application, Okorocha challenged INEC’s initial recognition and publication of Uzodimma as the primary winner.
He claimed that the official tally heavily distorted the reality of the direct primary election held on May 18, 2026.
While the electoral body initially recorded Uzodimma as sweeping the poll with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes, Okorocha presented independent monitoring data and affidavits asserting he won the primary by 150,780 votes to Uzodimma’s 102,158.
Evaluating the evidence, Justice Egwuatu held that the documentation established Okorocha’s clear victory in the APC primary monitored by INEC.
The court therefore mandated the APC to formally transmit Okorocha’s name to the electoral umpire and directed INEC to update its publication to reflect him as the rightful candidate.
Beyond the vote discrepancy, Okorocha’s suit had raised structural and constitutional arguments questioning whether Uzodimma was legally eligible to seek a legislative ticket while actively executing his term as state executive.
This sudden judicially enforced reshuffling injects heavy friction into the Imo State APC structure.
Okorocha, who previously represented the Orlu zone in the red chamber from 2019 to 2023 and governor from 2011 to 2019, has welcomed the decision.
Meanwhile, political analysts anticipate that Governor Uzodimma’s legal team will aggressively file an appeal to reverse the high court’s verdict before the primary windows permanently close.
The ruling represents a significant development in the political contest for the Imo West seat ahead of the next general elections.
