Enyinnaya Onuegbu, Chief of Staff to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, has criticised former governor Rochas Okorocha over the lingering crisis surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West, insisting that Okorocha was absent from key party activities leading up to the exercise.
Onuegbu made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Friday, amid an escalating dispute over the APC’s candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the January 2027 election.
According to the governor’s aide, Okorocha did not participate in crucial reconciliation meetings or stakeholders’ engagements before the primary, raising questions, in his view, about the former governor’s claim to the party’s senatorial ticket.
“Okorocha was absent from key events leading to Imo APC primary. He was nowhere to be found. He didn’t attend any reconciliation meeting, he didn’t show up for stakeholders’ meeting,” Onuegbu said.
He accused the former governor of attempting to claim the outcome of a process he allegedly failed to participate in, arguing that party members should not be allowed to dictate the outcome of a primary after staying away from the activities that preceded it.
“He wants to reap where he did not sow. You cannot stay away and then come back to dictate who becomes candidate,” Onuegbu stated.
The governor’s chief of staff also challenged Okorocha’s account of the events surrounding the primary, questioning whether the former governor had formally engaged party members as an aspirant before the exercise.
Onuegbu further argued that the dispute involved conflicting documentary evidence and maintained that oral testimony from witnesses was important in resolving the controversy.
He claimed that Uzodimma had made efforts to reach out to Okorocha and other aggrieved political leaders in a bid to resolve the disagreements but that the attempts were unsuccessful because, according to him, they did not answer the governor’s calls.
Despite the disagreement, Onuegbu maintained that the Imo APC remained united and prepared for the forthcoming elections, dismissing concerns that the dispute would undermine the party’s electoral prospects.
The comments came two days after the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment recognising Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary for the Imo West senatorial seat.
The court, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, ruled that Okorocha had won the party’s primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and ordered the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It also directed INEC to recognise and publish his name as the party’s candidate and restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the APC candidate for the contest.
The judgment has intensified divisions within the Imo APC, with supporters of Uzodimma disputing the outcome while Okorocha’s camp has welcomed the ruling as a vindication of its position.
The controversy has also raised questions about the party’s internal processes, the evidence presented before the court and the steps the APC leadership will take in response to the judgment.
With the senatorial election approaching, the dispute could have significant implications for the party’s preparations in Imo West. Any appeal or subsequent court order may further shape the final determination of the APC’s candidate.
