Daud Olatunji
The All Progressives Congress in Imo State has insisted that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, despite a Federal High Court judgment recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s lawful candidate.
The party’s position comes after Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Thursday that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to publish his name as the party’s candidate.
The court also directed Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC’s senatorial candidate for the January 16, 2027 election.
However, the APC maintained that Uzodimma remained its candidate, citing his emergence from the party’s primary election and the support he reportedly received from the majority of its members.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya Jones, said the APC’s position remained unchanged despite the court ruling.
“The Party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our Party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great Party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our Party members,” the statement read.
The party, however, indicated that it would review the judgment before deciding on its next legal steps.
“The Party’s legal department shall study the outcome of a legal intervention in this matter and act accordingly,” it added.
The APC also urged its members and supporters to remain committed to the party and its electoral ambitions across the state.
The dispute arose from the party’s senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, in which Uzodimma was declared the winner with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha reportedly secured 1,098 votes.
The results were recognised by INEC, but Okorocha challenged the outcome in court, contesting Uzodimma’s recognition as the party’s candidate for the district.
In its judgment, the court held that Okorocha was the lawful winner of the primary and ordered the APC to submit his name to INEC for publication.
The court also faulted inconsistencies in documents submitted by the party in support of Uzodimma’s nomination.
The ruling has thrown the APC’s preparations for the Imo West senatorial contest into uncertainty, with the party’s public declaration in support of Uzodimma raising questions about how it intends to respond to the court’s directives.
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