The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the evidence presented before the court established that Governor Hope Uzodimma was not the valid winner of the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and monitored by INEC.
The judge ruled that Okorocha secured the highest number of votes in the primary and was therefore entitled to the party’s ticket. The court consequently ordered the APC to forward his name to INEC and directed the electoral commission to publish him as the party’s candidate.
The ruling also directed Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the senatorial contest, dealing a setback to his reported ambition to contest the seat while serving as governor of Imo State.
The dispute follows a legal challenge by Okorocha over the outcome of the party primary. INEC had previously disputed documents claiming Okorocha won, saying its official report identified Uzodimma as the winner. The latest judgment marks a major development in the ongoing dispute over the APC ticket.