Imo APC Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate Despite Court Ruling

The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election, despite a Federal High Court ruling recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the winner of the party’s senatorial primary.

The party said Uzodimma secured its ticket through the primary election, adding that its legal department would review the judgment before determining its next course of action.

In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, PhD, the APC reaffirmed its support for the governor’s candidacy.

“The Party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our Party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great Party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our Party members,” the statement said.

However, the party acknowledged the legal development, saying its legal department would study the outcome of the court proceedings and act accordingly.

The development follows a judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in a suit filed by Okorocha over the disputed APC senatorial ticket.

The court held that Okorocha won the party’s senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and ordered the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

Okorocha had approached the court to challenge INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate, arguing that the commission should recognise the results recorded by its officials who monitored the primary election.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, listed INEC, the APC and Uzodimma as respondents. The former governor sought an order setting aside Uzodimma’s recognition and directing INEC to publish his name as the party’s duly nominated candidate.

The judgment has intensified the dispute over the party’s Imo West ticket, creating a legal and political challenge for the APC as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.

While the court’s directive favours Okorocha, the state chapter’s latest statement shows that the party has yet to publicly abandon its support for Uzodimma.

The APC has not announced whether it will appeal the judgment or pursue another legal option. Its next move is expected to depend on the legal department’s review of the court’s decision.