In what appeared as the end of the road for the ambition of the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma as a Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled in favour of former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, in a dispute over the All Progressives Congress, APC, ticket for the Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections, DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reportd
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to replace the name of incumbent Governor Hope Uzodinma with Okorocha’s as the APC candidate for the senatorial district.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the directive on Thursday after finding that Uzodinma did not emerge victorious in the party’s primary election conducted on May 18.
The judge held that the evidence before the court showed that Okorocha obtained the highest number of votes in the primary, making him the rightful winner of the exercise.
Consequently, the court directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its candidate for the Imo West seat in the 2027 elections.
The decision settles the immediate dispute over who should represent the APC in the contest, with the court’s order requiring the electoral commission to update its candidate records accordingly.
INEC has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, including the senatorial poll in which the party’s candidate will contest for the Imo West seat.
