Imo West Senatorial District: Uzodimma, APC Fault Judgement, Set to Appeal

OWERRI, NIGERIA — The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the camp of Governor Hope Uzodimma have rejected a federal court ruling that replaced Uzodimma with former Governor Rochas Okorocha for the Imo West Senatorial District ticket, promising a swift battle at the Court of Appeal.

The politically charged legal battle follows a judgement delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Okorocha as the valid APC candidate ahead of the January 2027 general elections.

“A Travesty of Justice” — Uzodimma’s Camp Reacts

Reacting to the judgement, Governor Uzodimma’s spokesman, Declan Emelumba, described the ruling as a “complete travesty of justice” and confirmed that they are already heading to the Court of Appeal for redress.

Emelumba, a former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, faulted Justice Egwuatu for not abiding by existing Supreme Court precedents.

According to Emelumba, the trial judge was presented with apex court judgements showing that allegations of forgery and perjury cannot be legally entertained via an originating summons procedure.

“For unfathomable reasons, he chose to defy the authority of the Supreme Court to deliver judgement in favour of Okorocha based on affidavit evidence founded on forged documents,” Emelumba stated.

Technical and Criminal Controversies

Uzodimma’s spokesman further pointed out a critical timeline violation regarding the statute of limitations for pre-election matters. Citing the Supreme Court ruling in Orji v. Chima, Emelumba noted that litigants are mandated to challenge primary elections within 14 days of the exercise.

While the APC Imo West primaries took place on May 18, 2026, Okorocha did not file his lawsuit until August 13, 2026—a clear 87 days later. Emelumba expressed shock that the judge overruled their preliminary objection despite finding that the core issue was determining the winner of that May election.

Adding a criminal dimension to the political feud, Emelumba recalled that earlier this month, the police arrested Okorocha and charged him to court for allegedly parading fake primary results. Furthermore, INEC had formally disowned the document presented by Okorocha, affirming that the genuine winner submitted to the commission by the APC leadership was Governor Uzodimma.

“As law-abiding citizens, we would explore the judicial avenues available to set aside the Federal High Court ruling and recover our mandate,” Emelumba declared.

APC Stands Firm on Uzodimma

Parallel to Emelumba’s remarks, the Imo State chapter of the APC issued a formal press statement signed by State Publicity Secretary Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, PhD, dismissing the social media celebration by opposition figures.

The party emphasized that Uzodimma originally clinched the ticket with overwhelming grassroots support and that its legal department is already analyzing the judicial intervention to act accordingly.

As the battle lines move from the Federal High Court to the appellate courts, the APC leadership has urged its teeming members and supporters to remain focused, undistracted, and fully committed to securing victory across all constituencies in the state.