A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified Governor Hope Uzodimma’s nomination as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District, declaring former governor Rochas Okorocha the rightful winner of the party’s primary.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, delivering judgment on Thursday, set aside INEC’s August 1 publication naming Uzodimma as the APC candidate for the January 16, 2027 election, and ordered the commission to restore Okorocha’s name in its place.

The court held that Uzodimma did not win the May 18, 2026 primary, which was monitored by INEC. It found that his nomination breached Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act and contravened the party’s guidelines for conducting primary elections.

Contradictory Documents

In reaching its decision, the court placed weight on the report of INEC officials, which it said established that Okorocha won the lawful votes across the district’s 10 local government areas. Justice Egwuatu found that the majority of documents tendered by the APC to justify Uzodimma’s nomination contradicted each other, indicating they were “clearly fabricated for the unlawful purpose of nominating” the governor.

The judge also flagged conflicting accounts from APC officials on how the primary was conducted — one document cited Option A4, another claimed a consensus arrangement produced Uzodimma, and a third described a direct primary — despite votes reportedly being allocated to aspirants.

Conflicting Results

INEC’s official figures had put Uzodimma at 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098. A separate document later circulated claiming Okorocha won with 150,780 votes.

Okorocha Hails ‘Victory for Democracy’

Okorocha, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemodo, described the ruling as “a resounding victory for the nation’s judiciary” and “an outstanding victory for the nation’s Constitution, as amended.” He thanked President Bola Tinubu for “providing the enabling environment for the Judiciary and other Institutions to function,” as well as APC leaders and the people of Imo West.

His counsel, O.J. Aboje, said the ruling vindicated the former governor, who had been accused in the media of forging documents. Okorocha’s son and Special Adviser on Political Matters, Amen Rochas, also commended the judiciary for standing firm against alleged attempts to influence the court.

Former APC national chairman Abdullahi Ganduje visited Okorocha to celebrate, describing him as “my father” and saying he was “highly delighted” by the judgment.

Imo APC Insists Uzodimma Remains Candidate

The Imo State chapter of the APC, however, maintained that Uzodimma remains its candidate, insisting he won the primary with “the overwhelming support” of party members. In a statement signed by Publicity Secretary Onwuasoanya Jones, the party said its legal department would study the judgment before deciding its next course of action, and urged members to remain focused on securing victories across the state.

The ruling comes amid controversy over Uzodimma’s reported ambition to become Senate President in 2027 while still serving as governor, a tenure due to end in January 2028.