Abuja Court Dashes Uzodimma’s Senate Presidency Hope

The hope of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma becoming Senate President was dashed by Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

The court nullified his emergence as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Imo West Senatorial District election slated for January 16, 2027.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026 filed by former Governor Rochas Okorocha on August 13, 2026, held that evidence before the court proved that Uzodimma did not validly win the primary election conducted by the APC on May 18, 2026, and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The court found that Okorocha, who served as Imo Governor from 2011 to 2019 and as Senator for Imo West from 2019 to 2023, secured the majority of lawful votes cast at the primary.

Okorocha, through his counsel O.J. Aboje, had challenged the declaration by Williams Kayode, Chairman and Returning Officer of the 2026 Imo APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, who had declared Uzodimma winner with 230,464 votes.

Okorocha contended that he polled 150,780 votes against Uzodimma’s 102,158 votes and asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by the reports of its own officials who monitored the exercise.

Justice Egwuatu agreed, holding that most of the documents used to nominate Uzodimma were fabricated in breach of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.

Consequently, the court ordered:

1. The APC to immediately forward Okorocha’s name to INEC as its candidate for Imo West.

2. INEC to forthwith recognise, accept and publish Okorocha’s name as the authentic APC candidate for the poll.

3. Uzodimma to stop parading himself as the APC candidate for the election.

Reacting, the Imo State chapter of the APC, in a statement on Thursday signed by its Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, dismissed reports of a change in candidacy as false and unverified.

The party said Uzodimma remains its flagbearer having won the primaries with overwhelming support of members, even as it acknowledged the judgment.

The court ruling is subject to appeal. INEC has already fixed presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections for January 16, 2027.