The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election scheduled for January 16, 2027, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the evidence before the court showed that Uzodimma was not the valid winner of the APC senatorial primary conducted in the district on May 18 and monitored by INEC.

The court ruled that Okorocha secured the highest number of votes in the primary and was therefore entitled to the party’s ticket for the forthcoming election.

Consequently, Justice Egwuatu ordered INEC to recognise Okorocha and publish his name as the authentic APC candidate for Imo West. The court also barred Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the senatorial contest.

The ruling sets up a significant political development in Imo State, where the two politicians have held influential positions. Uzodimma is the incumbent governor, while Okorocha, who governed the state from 2011 to 2019, previously represented Imo West in the Senate.

The dispute centres on who validly won the APC primary for the senatorial seat, with the court’s decision placing Okorocha in line to contest under the party’s platform ahead of the 2027 general election.

The judgment comes as political parties prepare for the next electoral cycle, with candidate selection and internal party disputes likely to shape contests across the country.