Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo State, has taken legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking to overturn its recognition of Governor Hope Uzodimma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West senatorial district ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, was filed on August 13, 2026 at the Federal High Court in Abuja by Okorocha's counsel, O.J. Aboje. Uzodimma and the APC are named as additional respondents.
APC Primary Election Dispute
Both men contested the APC senatorial ticket for Imo West in May. Williams Kayode, chairman and returning officer of the 2026 Imo APC National Assembly primary election committee, declared Uzodimma the winner with 230,464 votes. However, an affidavit attached to the suit, deposed to by Amen Rochas, son of the former governor, alleges that the direct primary held on May 18 produced a different result — with Okorocha scoring 150,780 votes against Uzodimma's 102,158.
Okorocha, who governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and later represented Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023, is asking the court to set aside INEC's publication of Uzodimma as the primary winner and to direct the commission to recognise and publish his own name as the duly nominated APC candidate.
Constitutional Question at the Heart of the Case
Beyond the vote-count dispute, Okorocha's suit raises a broader constitutional argument. Citing Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which bars a sitting governor from holding any other executive office or paid employment during his tenure, he argues that INEC's publication of Uzodimma's name was wrongful from the outset.
Uzodimma was sworn in for a second term as governor in January 2024, with his tenure running until January 2028. The 11th Senate is expected to be inaugurated in June 2027, more than six months before his term ends. This timeline has fuelled debate over whether Uzodimma would be required to resign as governor if he wins the senatorial seat.
Legal Relief Sought by Okorocha
Okorocha is asking the court to declare that INEC acted unconstitutionally by publishing Uzodimma's name as APC's candidate. He is also seeking an order barring Uzodimma, directly or through the party or any agent, from presenting himself as the party's nominated candidate for the election.
