The political crisis over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West has intensified after the party’s 12 local government chairmen in the Orlu zone rejected a Federal High Court judgment recognising former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.
The chairmen reaffirmed their support for incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma, insisting that he won the APC primary conducted on May 18, 2026, despite the court’s ruling in favour of Okorocha.
The state APC chairman, Austin Onyedebelu, spoke on behalf of the chairmen during a press conference in Owerri on Friday, describing the judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu as unjust and politically motivated.
“We reject this judgment in its entirety because it is an undisguised travesty of justice. It is a political robbery clothed in legal robes,” the chairmen declared.
The court had ruled on Thursday that Okorocha produced sufficient evidence to establish that he won the party’s senatorial primary. It ordered the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and directed the commission to publish him as the party’s validly nominated candidate. The court also barred Uzodimma from presenting himself as the APC candidate for the election.
However, the chairmen disputed the ruling, claiming they witnessed the primary and that Uzodimma secured approximately 230,000 votes, compared with 1,098 votes allegedly recorded for Okorocha.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we NEVER VOTED FOR ROCHAS OKOROCHA,” Onyedebelu said.
They accused Okorocha of bypassing the party’s internal appeal process before approaching the court and warned that the dispute could deepen divisions within the APC in the South-East.
The chairmen also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene politically, arguing that the crisis could damage the party’s fortunes in the region ahead of the 2027 general elections. They maintained that they remained loyal to the APC but urged its leadership to resolve the dispute.
The controversy has been fuelled by conflicting accounts of the primary results presented during the court proceedings.
An affidavit filed on Okorocha’s behalf by his son, Amen Rochas, reportedly stated that the former governor secured 150,780 votes against 102,158 for Uzodimma. In contrast, a counter-affidavit sworn by Lucky Ajokperiniovo on behalf of the governor claimed that Uzodimma won with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha received 1,098.
INEC told the court that its officials monitored the primary and that the official result showed Uzodimma as the winner. The commission also said no aspirant had complained about the exercise at the time and disclosed that it had referred a disputed document purportedly naming Okorocha as the winner to security agencies for investigation.
The Imo State APC chapter has also rejected the judgment. The party’s publicity secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, said Uzodimma remained its candidate for Imo West and that its legal department would study the ruling before determining its next steps.
The governor’s camp has indicated that it intends to appeal, maintaining that Uzodimma will contest the January 16, 2027 election. The APC national secretariat had not issued an official response to the judgment at the time of the report.
Okorocha, however, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for democracy. Through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, he thanked Tinubu and the APC leadership for creating an environment in which party members could seek legal redress.
The former governor also challenged the official account of the primary, claiming that documents he obtained from INEC on July 22 supported his position. He alleged that a different document emerged on August 22 and questioned discrepancies in the records, including the date of the primary and the description of Uzodimma as a consensus candidate despite the presentation of individual scores.
Uzodimma’s camp had argued that Okorocha filed his suit outside the 14-day period it said applied to disputes over party primaries. Okorocha rejected that position, maintaining that he approached the court after obtaining certified documents that he believed established his claim to the ticket.
The dispute has also raised questions about Uzodimma’s potential transition from the governorship to the Senate. His second term is expected to run until January 2028, while the next Senate is scheduled to begin work in June 2027.
Section 183 of the Nigerian Constitution prohibits a state governor from simultaneously holding another executive office or a legislative seat. Therefore, if Uzodimma were to win the senatorial election and seek to assume office before his governorship term expires, the constitutional restriction would become a significant consideration.
Okorocha has used the issue to criticise the governor’s political ambitions, arguing that he should concentrate on governing Imo State. He also challenged Uzodimma to a public popularity contest, saying, “Let’s move out and call the people and see what will happen.”
Beyond the dispute over the APC ticket, Okorocha urged people from the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, advocating what he described as a more strategic political partnership with the President. He expressed affection for Peter Obi but argued that the region should consider its political interests carefully.
He also praised the coalition approach associated with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, saying he hoped to bring opposition parties, including members of the Peoples Democratic Party, into a broader political arrangement in support of Tinubu.
The dispute has placed the APC in Imo State at the centre of a significant political and legal confrontation ahead of the 2027 elections. With the state party leadership and local government chairmen backing Uzodimma while the court has ruled in Okorocha’s favour, the next steps in the judicial process and the response of the party’s national leadership will be crucial in determining who ultimately represents the APC in Imo West.
