The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the nomination of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in his judgment on Thursday, ordered Uzodinma to stop parading himself as the party’s senatorial candidate, ruling that former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, won the APC primary election conducted on May 18, 2026.
The court also directed the APC to forward Okorocha’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s duly nominated candidate for the senatorial district.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Okorocha, who challenged INEC’s publication of Uzodinma’s name as the winner of the party’s primary election.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026 and filed on August 13, 2026, Okorocha argued that reports submitted by INEC officials who monitored the primary election showed that he secured the highest number of votes.
He consequently asked the court to set aside INEC’s publication of Uzodinma as the APC candidate and direct the commission to recognise him as the party’s legitimate flag bearer.
Okorocha also sought an order restraining Uzodinma from presenting himself, directly or indirectly, as the party’s nominated candidate for the 2027 election.
However, Uzodinma and the APC opposed the suit, arguing that it was filed outside the 14-day period prescribed under Section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Their lawyers, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, for Uzodinma, and Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, for the APC, urged the court to dismiss the case for being statute-barred.
In a counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the governor, a member of the committee that conducted the primary election maintained that Uzodinma emerged victorious, claiming he scored 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.
The official further stated that the results were recorded and collated from the wards through the local government areas before being transmitted to the senatorial district returning officer for final collation and declaration.
He added that the election committee’s report was signed by its members on May 18, 2026, and maintained that the exercise substantially complied with the APC’s constitution, guidelines and the Electoral Act.
INEC also opposed Okorocha’s claims, stating that its officials monitored the primary election and submitted a report indicating that Uzodinma scored the highest number of votes and was declared the winner.
The electoral commission further told the court that it did not receive any complaint from aspirants regarding the outcome of the primary election.
INEC’s Assistant Chief Legal Officer, Gyang Dung, also denied signing some of the documents tendered by Okorocha as evidence.
Despite the objections raised by Uzodinma, the APC and INEC, Justice Egwuatu ruled in favour of Okorocha, nullifying the governor’s nomination and directing the party to recognise the former governor as its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
