The federal high court in Abuja has ordered Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, to stop parading himself as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections.
Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge, on Thursday, held that
the evidence before the court shows that Uzodimma did not win the APC Imo west
senatorial district primary.
Citing evidence before the court, Egwuatu said Rochas
Okorocha, ex-Imo governor, secured the majority of votes cast and should be
declared winner of the primary poll.
Okorocha was Imo governor from 2011 to 2019.
THE SUIT
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026 filed in August,
Okorocha asked the court to determine whether the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) is not bound by the reports of its officers who
monitored the APC primary conducted on May 18 for the nomination of a candidate
for the Imo west senatorial district.
Citing section 183 of the 1999 constitution, Okorocha asked
the court to determine whether the publication of Uzodimma’s name by INEC as
winner of the primary was lawful.
Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution states that: “The
Governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other
executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.”
The former governor prayed the court to declare that it was
unconstitutional for INEC to publish Uzodimma’s name as APC’s candidate when he
did not emerge as winner of the primary election.
In May, Williams Kayode, chairman and returning officer of
the 2026 Imo APC national assembly primary election committee, declared
Uzodimma winner of the contest with 230,464 votes.
Uzodimma was sworn in for a second term as governor in
January 2024, meaning that his tenure would elapse in January 2028.
The 11th senate will be inaugurated in June 2027 — more than
six months before the expiration of Uzodimma’s stint as Imo governor.
‘UZODIMMA’S NOMINATION BREACHED ELECTORAL ACT’
In his verdict, the presiding judge held that the nomination
of Uzodimma breached sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act.
Egwuatu held that the nomination failed to comply with the
APC’s guidelines for conducting primary elections.
The judge criticised INEC for accepting Uzodimma’s
nomination despite what he described as overwhelming documentary evidence
indicating that the Imo governor did not win the APC primary.
Egwuatu held that the electoral umpire is bound by the
report of its officials who monitored the APC primary, adding that their report
showed Okorocha won the May 18 primary.
The judge ruled that majority of the documents presented by
APC to justify Uzodimma’s nomination were contradictory.
“That the publication of Hope Uzodimma’s name by INEC as the
winner of the primary election is wrongful and unlawful,” the judge ruled.
“That the INEC publication of the name of Hope Uzodimma on
August 1 as APC Senatorial candidate for Imo West is hereby set aside and in
its place, INEC is ordered to restore the name of Rochas Okorocha.
“Rochas Okorocha is the lawful winner and is entitled to
have his name submitted to INEC.
“Majority of the documents tendered by APC to support the
purported nomination of Uzodimma (3rd respondent) contradicts each other
indicating that they were clearly fabricated for the unlawful purpose of
nominating the 3rd respondent as candidate.
“In view of the doubt cast on the authenticity of the
documents, the court cannot ascribe probative value to the purported
documents.”
The judge held that documents certified and released to the
former Imo governor showed that he secured majority of the votes in the primary
election conducted in 10 LGAs that make up the senatorial district.
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