By Simpson Global Media News Desk
JUDGMENT DATE: Thursday, 29 October 2026
JUDGMENT TIME: Exact time not confirmed.
VENUE: Federal High Court, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
JUDGE: Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
ELECTION DATE: 16 January 2027, as reported for the Imo West senatorial election.
REPORT DATE: Friday, 30 October 2026.
Court rules in favour of former Imo governor
A Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the recognition of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election and ordered the party to forward the name of former governor Rochas Okorocha to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, 29 October 2026, after considering a suit filed by Okorocha challenging the recognition of Uzodimma as the party's candidate.
The court held that the evidence before it established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on 18 May 2026 and was therefore entitled to be recognised as the party's lawful nominee.
The judge also restrained Uzodimma from continuing to present himself as the APC candidate for the senatorial contest.
The decision has created a significant political and legal dispute within the Imo APC, with the state chapter rejecting the ruling and insisting that Uzodimma remains its candidate.
The party says it will study the judgment and consider its legal options.
How the dispute began
The disagreement arose from the APC primary conducted on 18 May 2026 to select the party's candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.
The district, also known as Orlu Senatorial Zone, is one of the three senatorial constituencies in Imo State.
Uzodimma, the incumbent governor, was subsequently recognised by INEC as the APC candidate for the senatorial election.
However, Okorocha challenged that recognition, maintaining that he had won the party primary and that his name was unlawfully replaced.
The former governor approached the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026.
The defendants included INEC, the APC and Uzodimma.
Okorocha asked the court to determine whether the electoral commission was entitled to recognise Uzodimma after the primary and whether the party's substitution of his name complied with the law and its internal rules.
The dispute also raised questions about the documentation of the primary election, the authority of party officials and the responsibilities of the electoral commission when monitoring party nomination exercises.
Conflicting accounts of the primary result
One of the central issues before the court was the conflicting documentation concerning who won the APC primary.
INEC's published position had recognised Uzodimma as the winner, with 230,464 votes against Okorocha's 1,098 votes.
Okorocha, however, relied on documents which he said demonstrated that he secured the majority of votes cast across the local government areas making up the senatorial district.
The court examined the materials submitted by the parties and questioned the consistency of documents presented in support of Uzodimma's nomination.
According to reports of the judgment, Justice Egwuatu found contradictions in the accounts of how the primary was conducted.
Some documents referred to a direct primary, while others reportedly indicated a consensus arrangement.
The judge held that the conflicting documents presented by the defendants did not provide reliable support for the recognition of Uzodimma as the winner.
He also dismissed the allegation that Okorocha had forged documents, noting that the defendants had not presented the authentic documents needed to substantiate that allegation.
The court consequently accepted Okorocha's claim that he had won the primary and should have been forwarded to INEC.
Court addresses the 14-day filing argument
The defendants had challenged the timing of Okorocha's case, arguing that it was filed outside the constitutional period for pre-election disputes.
The APC's subsequent statement also questioned whether the case was instituted within the time allowed by law.
However, Justice Egwuatu held that the relevant date for calculating the filing period was 1 August 2026, when INEC published Uzodimma's name as the party's candidate.
The judge did not accept the argument that the period should be calculated from the date of the primary on 18 May or the date the party forwarded Uzodimma's name to INEC on 14 July.
He therefore ruled that the case was filed within the required 14-day period.
This issue was important because a court's authority to hear a pre-election dispute can depend on whether the action was filed within the applicable statutory and constitutional time limits.
Court directs APC and INEC to recognise Okorocha
After considering the evidence, the court set aside INEC's publication of Uzodimma as the APC candidate for Imo West.
It directed the APC to forward Okorocha's name to the electoral commission and ordered INEC to publish him as the party's candidate.
The judge also restrained Uzodimma from parading himself as the APC nominee for the senatorial election.
The court's decision means that the party's nomination dispute is now subject to the legal consequences of the judgment, unless a higher court subsequently changes the outcome.
The ruling does not remove Uzodimma from his current office as governor of Imo State. It concerns his recognition as the APC candidate for the Imo West senatorial contest.
APC rejects the judgment
The Imo State chapter of the APC rejected the judgment shortly after it was delivered.
In a statement signed by the party's state chairman, Austin Onyedebelu, the chapter maintained that Uzodimma remained its authentic candidate.
The party argued that the governor had won the 18 May primary with the support of the majority of APC members.
It also raised concerns about the court's treatment of the evidence and the constitutional period for instituting pre-election cases.
The APC specifically questioned the authenticity and origin of documents relied upon by Okorocha.
According to the party, INEC and the APC had disputed the origin and certification of some of the documents presented during the proceedings.
The chapter said the issues deserved further judicial examination.
It announced that its legal department would study the judgment before determining the next steps.
The party's position is significant because it demonstrates that the judgment has not ended the political disagreement within the state chapter.
Okorocha welcomes the ruling
Okorocha described the judgment as a victory for democracy, the Nigerian Constitution and the people of Imo West.
In a statement issued through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemodo, the former governor commended the judiciary for its decision.
He also thanked supporters in Imo State and particularly those in the senatorial district.
Okorocha said the judgment vindicated his position that he had won the APC primary and was entitled to the party's nomination.
Former APC national chairman and former Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje also visited Okorocha after the ruling.
Ganduje congratulated him and expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
The public reactions from both camps underline the political significance of the decision ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The political implications for Imo State
The dispute involves two prominent political figures who have held the governorship of Imo State.
Uzodimma is the incumbent governor, while Okorocha governed the state from 2011 to 2019.
The contest for the Imo West senatorial ticket therefore carries implications beyond the selection of a candidate for one legislative constituency.
It raises questions about political influence, internal party competition and the relationship between state leadership and party structures.
The ruling could also affect how the APC organises its campaign in the district, depending on whether the party complies with the judgment or pursues further legal action.
For the electoral commission, the decision places the next steps in the nomination process within the framework of the court's orders.
What happens next?
The immediate issue is whether the APC will comply with the judgment or challenge it through the appropriate legal process.
The Imo APC chapter has said its legal department will review the decision and determine the appropriate action.
Any appeal or further court proceedings could influence the final position of the party's candidate for the election.
INEC will also have to act in accordance with any operative court orders and the applicable electoral timetable.
The senatorial election is scheduled for 16 January 2027, according to reports on the contest.
The dispute is therefore likely to remain an important issue in the party's preparations for the election.
A test of party primaries and electoral accountability
The case highlights the importance of transparent party primaries and reliable documentation in Nigeria's electoral process.
Political parties are responsible for selecting their candidates through procedures established by law and their constitutions.
Where disputes arise, courts may be asked to determine whether the process complied with those requirements.
The outcome of the Imo West case also demonstrates the importance of the role played by INEC officials who monitor party primaries and the records generated during those exercises.
For political parties, the dispute is a reminder that candidate selection can become a legal matter when internal processes are contested.
For voters, the final outcome will determine which candidate appears on the APC platform for the senatorial election.
As of 30 October 2026, the Federal High Court has ruled in favour of Okorocha, while the Imo APC chapter continues to maintain that Uzodimma is its candidate and says it is reviewing the judgment.
The next development will depend on the party's legal response and any subsequent proceedings before the courts.
Simpson Global Media will continue to follow developments concerning the judgment, the APC's response and INEC's implementation of the court's orders.
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