Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, to immediately stop presenting himself as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Imo West Senatorial election slated for January 16, 2027.
Justice Egwuatu issued the order after holding that Uzodinma did not win the May 18 primary election conducted by the APC and monitored by INEC.
Delivering judgment, the Judge held that the evidence presented before the court proved that former governor Rochas Okorocha actually won the majority of the votes cast at the poll and should be declared the winner of the election.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently ordered the APC to forward Okorocha’s name as the candidate of the APC in the 2027 general elections for the Imo West Senatorial election.
But the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has maintained that Governor Uzodimma remains its candidate.
The party, in a statement by its State Chairman, Austin Onyedebelu, rejected the judgment of the Federal High Court, saying it raised grave concerns about constitutional compliance, the application of established judicial precedents, and the evaluation of evidence.
The party also described it as “deeply troubling” and believes that the legal questions arising from it warrant rigorous scrutiny.
It said that a judgment that appears to depart from established constitutional principles and raises questions about the treatment of material evidence risks undermining public confidence in the administration of justice.
“Section 285(9) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), prescribes a 14-day period for instituting pre-election matters within its scope. The APC Imo West Senatorial District primary election was held on May 18, 2026. However, former Governor Rochas Okorocha reportedly instituted his action on August 13, 2026, long after the constitutionally prescribed period had elapsed.
“Our concern is straightforward: where an applicant approaches the court seeking to be declared the winner of a party primary, the question of when the cause of action arose and whether the action was instituted within the constitutionally prescribed period becomes fundamental to the court’s jurisdiction,” the APC stated.
The party further said that it was concerned that the judgment did not sufficiently resolve the implications of the disputed documents and the procedure through which the allegations were presented.