A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the nomination of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma as the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove Uzodinma’s name and replace it with that of former Governor Rochas Okorocha .
The court held that evidence presented proved that Uzodinma did not win the May 18, 2026 primary election conducted by the APC and monitored by INEC. According to the judge, Okorocha secured the majority of the lawful votes cast and should be published as the winner .
Justice Egwuatu consequently directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027 .
The court also issued an order barring Governor Uzodinma from parading himself as the APC candidate for the election .
## Background to the dispute
The legal battle followed conflicting claims over the outcome of the APC primary. INEC’s official results had recognised Uzodinma as the winner with 230,464 votes, against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes .
Okorocha, who represented Imo West in the Senate between 2019 and 2023, challenged the outcome in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, questioning INEC’s recognition of Uzodinma and raising issues about the governor’s eligibility to contest the senatorial election while still in office .
In his affidavit, Okorocha claimed he won the direct primary with 150,780 votes against Uzodinma’s 102,158 votes .
The former governor also argued that Uzodinma’s tenure as governor would not expire until January 2028, while the Senate elected in 2027 would be inaugurated around June 2027, raising constitutional questions under Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution .
The dispute is the latest chapter in the long-running political rivalry between Okorocha and his successor, Uzodinma, in Imo State politics .
