Court declares Okorocha APC candidate for Imo West Senate seat

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Rochas Okorocha the winner of the All Progressives Congress primary for the Imo West Senatorial District. The court ordered the party to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its candidate for the 2027 general election. Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

The judge also ordered Governor Hope Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC's candidate for the senatorial seat. The ruling followed a legal challenge filed by Okorocha in August 2026 against INEC, the APC and Uzodimma. He argued that the commission had unlawfully recognized Uzodimma as the winner.

“The police will go after those who forged and not go to innocent man — for who presented a fake document.”

The dispute began when the APC's returning officer for the 2026 Imo National Assembly primary elections, Williams Kayode, announced Uzodimma as the winner. The official result gave Uzodimma 230,464 votes and Okorocha 1,098 votes. Okorocha disputed the outcome and said reports from officials who monitored the exercise supported his claim.

Okorocha's affidavit alleged that results from 12 local government areas showed evidence of manipulation. He claimed that all 18 electoral wards in those areas were filled by one person, indicating that the other camp forged documents terribly. He said law enforcement authorities should pursue those responsible for forgery rather than innocent individuals.

Speaking after the judgment, Okorocha praised his lawyer as one of the best in the world. He said he took up the case because he believed an injustice had been committed. He also compared the ruling to the Supreme Court's 2020 judgment that declared Uzodimma the winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election.

The court's decision raises questions about the handling of the APC nomination process in Imo West. Okorocha sought an order setting aside the recognition of Uzodimma and directing INEC to publish his name as the duly nominated candidate. The case is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026.