Court Awards APC Senatorial Ticket to Rochas Okorocha

A Federal High Court in Abuja awarded the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Imo West Senatorial District to Rochas Okorocha, sacking current Governor Hope Uzodimma as the candidate for the January 16, 2027, election. Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Okorocha provided sufficient evidence of winning the May 18, 2026, primary, and ordered the APC to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The ruling triggered an immediate conflict within the party. Twelve local government chairmen and the Imo State APC chapter rejected the judgment, calling it a "political robbery." State APC chairman Austin Onyedebelu and other officials insisted Uzodimma remains the valid candidate, claiming he won the primary by approximately 230,000 votes to Okorocha's 1,098.

Okorocha dismissed these objections, asserting he is the founding father and dominant leader of the APC in Imo State. He characterized the opposition as personal associates of Governor Uzodimma rather than legitimate party structures, questioning if any official congress had been conducted to establish rival leadership. He further argued that the state government has no standing in the matter, as the contest is a personal dispute between him and Uzodimma. Uzodimma's camp has announced intentions to appeal the verdict.