A Federal High Court ruling favouring Rochas Okorocha has intensified his political battle with Hope Uzodimma over the APC’s Imo West ticket

The political rivalry between former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and his successor, Hope Uzodimma, has intensified following a Federal High Court judgment recognising Okorocha as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.

Also read:Aminu Jaji Wins Fresh APC Primary After Court Ruling

The judgment, delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu in Abuja on October 29, 2026, nullified Uzodimma’s recognition as the party’s nominee and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish Okorocha’s name as the candidate.

The court held that Okorocha was the lawful winner of the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 election.

The dispute centres on conflicting accounts of the primary election. Uzodimma was initially declared the winner, with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098, according to the results recognised by INEC.

However, Okorocha challenged the outcome, relying on documents which he said showed that he had won the exercise. Justice Egwuatu ruled in his favour after examining the evidence and identifying inconsistencies in documents submitted to support Uzodimma’s nomination.

Okorocha governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019 before representing Imo West in the Senate between 2019 and 2023. Uzodimma succeeded him as governor in 2020, and their political relationship has since been marked by competing interests within the state’s APC structure.

The court victory has given Okorocha a significant boost in his bid to return to the Senate, but it has not ended the dispute.

Uzodimma has rejected suggestions that he would surrender the ticket. Speaking after a church service at the Government House Chapel in Owerri on November 8, he insisted that nobody would take the APC nomination away from him.

“If they tell you that I will hold this ticket and somebody will collect it and give it to another, tell the person it is a lie,” he said.

The governor’s camp has also indicated its intention to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal. His Chief Press Secretary, Oguike Nwachuku, described the ruling as a “travesty of justice” and expressed confidence that it would be overturned.

The Imo State APC leadership has equally maintained that Uzodimma remains its candidate, saying its legal department would study the judgment and determine the party’s next course of action.

For Okorocha, the ruling represents an important legal and political victory in his effort to reclaim the senatorial seat and reassert his influence within the APC in Imo State.

For Uzodimma, the challenge is more complicated. Beyond defending his political ambition, he must contend with a court order that directly affects the party’s nomination and the electoral commission’s recognition of its candidate.

Also read:Aminu Jaji Wins Fresh APC Primary After Court Ruling

The outcome of any appeal could determine which of the two politicians eventually flies the APC flag in Imo West. Until the legal process is concluded, the dispute is likely to remain a major test of influence, party control and political authority in Imo State.