Political Firestorm: Okorocha Victorious in Court, Demands Uzodimma's Resignation from Senatorial Race!

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State as the rightful winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize him as the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election. This ruling also directed the incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma to cease presenting himself as the APC’s candidate for the district, intensifying the long-standing political rivalry between the two prominent figures in Imo State.

Mr. Okorocha’s allegations of irregularities in the primary documents formed the crux of his legal challenge. He claimed that the documents presented by Mr. Uzodimma to support his emergence as the APC senatorial candidate contained significant inconsistencies. These included discrepancies in the dates of the primary election, with some documents indicating 16 May while the actual exercise took place on 18 May. Furthermore, Mr. Okorocha questioned the assertion of a consensus arrangement for Mr. Uzodimma’s emergence, noting the presence of competing aspirants and recorded votes. He also alleged that result sheets for over 300 polling units across 144 wards and 12 local government areas appeared to be completed in the handwriting of a single person, with some ward sheets lacking entries despite collated results appearing at the local government level. He contrasted these with his own certified copies obtained from INEC, which he maintained were consistent and authentic.

The former governor also challenged INEC's perceived role in determining the primary's outcome. He argued that INEC's primary responsibility is to monitor the exercise and record the results submitted by the political party. According to Okorocha, the results monitored by INEC officials favored him, yet the figures eventually announced were different. He further questioned the authenticity of a letter allegedly submitted by the Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to the APC national chairman, claiming it was certified by the party rather than INEC and lacked the signature of the Head of Election Monitoring, which he contended should have been present.

Addressing the timing of his legal action, which exceeded the 14-day period prescribed for pre-election matters, Mr. Okorocha explained that he initially believed the official records indicated his victory. He stated he only became aware of his name being displaced from INEC records on 1 September, prompting his suit against INEC, with the APC and Mr. Uzodimma joined as respondents. Both Governor Uzodimma and the APC disputed Okorocha's account in court, arguing the suit was filed out of time and presenting their own figures, claiming Uzodimma won with a significant majority.

Beyond the primary's irregularities, Mr. Okorocha also raised a constitutional challenge to Mr. Uzodimma's eligibility. He criticized the governor for seeking a Senate seat starting in June 2027 while his gubernatorial tenure extends until January 2028. Mr. Okorocha argued that holding two paid executive positions simultaneously violates Section 183 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which prohibits a governor from holding any other executive office or paid employment during their tenure. However, reports indicated that Mr. Uzodimma had planned to resign as governor before the inauguration of the 11th Senate in 2027 if his ambition succeeded.

Mr. Okorocha further leveraged the interview to challenge the legitimacy of the APC leadership structure in Imo State, dismissing those allegedly mobilizing against him as political associates of Mr. Uzodimma rather than genuinely elected party officials. He asserted his status as a founding father of the APC, claiming he coined the party's name and that the party's structure in Imo State fundamentally revolves around him. He questioned whether proper congresses were conducted to establish the legitimacy of the current party structures opposing him.

In response to the court's judgment, Mr. Uzodimma’s camp and the Imo State APC have rejected the decision. The Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, described the judgment as a