Imo APC Crisis Deepens: 12 Chairmen Reject Court Ruling for Okorocha, Insist Uzodimma Remains Orlu Senatorial Candidate

The political crisis surrounding the APC senatorial ticket for Imo West has intensified, as the battle between former Governor Rochas Okorocha and incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma takes a fresh dimension.

The 12 local government chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Orlu Senatorial District have openly rejected a Federal High Court judgment recognising Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027, Senate election.

The chairmen maintained that Uzodimma remains the authentic winner of the party’s primary and accused unnamed political interests of attempting to undermine the South-East through what they described as an orchestrated political scheme.

Their position was made public on Friday during a press conference in Owerri, where the state APC chairman, Austin Onyedebelu, spoke on behalf of the 12 council chairmen.

Reacting angrily to the court’s decision, they said:

“We reject this judgment in its entirety because it is an undisguised travesty of justice. It is a political robbery clothed in legal robes, the latest instalment of a satanic scheme hatched by Abuja politicians against the South-East.”

The controversy followed Thursday’s ruling by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which declared Okorocha the winner of the APC primary held on May 18, rather than Uzodimma.

The judge held that the former governor had provided “sufficient evidence” to establish that he won the primary, which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Court Recognises Okorocha, Orders INEC to Publish His Name

In its ruling, the court directed the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to INEC and ordered the commission to publish him as the party’s validly nominated candidate.

It also restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the APC candidate for the forthcoming senatorial election.

But the 12 APC chairmen have refused to accept the decision, insisting that the primary results were clear and that the governor defeated Okorocha by a massive margin.

According to Onyedebelu, the chairmen were present during the May 18, 2026, exercise, where Okorocha allegedly scored 1,098 votes against approximately 230,000 votes recorded for Uzodimma.

They maintained that the exercise took place in the presence of INEC officials.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we NEVER VOTED FOR ROCHAS OKOROCHA,” Onyedebelu declared.

“This legal somersault orchestrated by enemies of Ndigbo was obviously procured not only to destabilise Orlu zone but to consolidate the war of attrition by some Nigerians to politically hold down the south east.”

The chairmen further alleged that Okorocha failed to challenge the primary outcome through the APC’s internal appeal panel before seeking judicial intervention.

They also expressed reservations about what they described as the former governor’s celebrations after the judgment and his alleged comments suggesting that powerful individuals outside the court helped secure the outcome.

For the chairmen, these developments pointed to a broader political agenda aimed at weakening the influence of the South-East.

They accused certain power brokers outside the region of attempting to impose Okorocha against the wishes of the majority of APC members in Orlu, whom they said voted overwhelmingly for Uzodimma.

“Our grievance lies with a small circle of power brokers who appear determined that no Igbo man shall come close to the first, second, or third positions in the land. We therefore appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose leadership we support and will continue to support, to look closely at the men behind this scheme,” they said.

The chairmen described Uzodimma as the heartbeat of the APC in the South-East and warned that failure to resolve the dispute could create serious political consequences for the party.

“While we hope and pray that this sinister action of enemies of Ndigbo will be quashed by the Appeal Court, we fear the backlash of this obnoxious attempt to deny the people of the South East their rightful political position of being at least the number three in Nigeria, something that has been denied us for almost 20 years,” they added.

Two Different Results Fuel Legal Battle

The dispute, which culminated in the judgment delivered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, originated from a case filed by Okorocha on August 13 against INEC, the APC and Uzodimma.

At the centre of the legal controversy are two conflicting sets of primary election results.

An affidavit filed by Okorocha’s son, Amen Rochas, claimed that the former governor secured 150,780 votes, while Uzodimma received 102,158.

However, a counter-affidavit submitted on behalf of the governor by Lucky Ajokperiniovo stated that Uzodimma won with 230,464 votes, leaving Okorocha with just 1,098.

INEC, in its submission to the court, maintained that its officials monitored the primary and confirmed that Uzodimma obtained the highest number of votes.

The commission also told the court that no aspirant complained during the exercise. It had previously referred the disputed document declaring Okorocha the winner to security agencies for investigation.

Meanwhile, the Imo APC leadership has aligned itself with the governor, dismissing the judgment.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, stated that Uzodimma “remains the candidate of our party for Imo West Senatorial District.”

He explained that the party’s legal department would examine the ruling and take the necessary steps.

Uzodimma’s camp has also made its intention to appeal known, with a source close to the governor declaring: “The governor will be on the ballot for the January 16, 2027 election.”

The APC national secretariat in Abuja had not issued a formal statement on the matter as of the time this report was filed.

Okorocha Celebrates Court Victory, Says His Documents Are Genuine

Reacting to the judgment through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha described the ruling as “a victory for the nation’s fast-growing democracy.”

He thanked President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership for allowing party members to exercise their rights through the courts.

The former governor also dismissed concerns about possible arrest, insisting that the court had validated the documents he presented.

He said the issue had been settled “because the court has found that my documents are genuine and correct.”

Okorocha argued that INEC’s responsibility is limited to monitoring party primaries rather than conducting them, adding that the commission merely receives and keeps the results submitted by political parties.

According to him, the results transmitted to INEC headquarters favoured him, but another result was subsequently announced after the party instructed state chapters not to declare the outcome.

He said he obtained certified copies of the primary documents from INEC on July 22, 2026, while the document presented by Uzodimma’s camp appeared on August 22.

Describing the governor’s document as “an afterthought,” Okorocha alleged that it contained several irregularities that the court eventually considered.

He claimed that the document incorrectly stated that the primary took place on May 16 instead of May 18 and described Uzodimma as a consensus candidate despite the exercise being a direct primary.

The governor’s camp had not responded to these allegations.

On the question of the timing of his lawsuit, Uzodimma’s lawyers had argued that election-related primary disputes must be instituted within 14 days, whereas Okorocha filed his case 87 days after the exercise.

But the former governor insisted that his possession of certified INEC documents showing him as the winner justified his action.

“I can’t sue myself as a winner,” he said.

Okorocha Questions Uzodimma’s Senate Ambition

Another dimension of the dispute concerns the constitutional implications of Uzodimma contesting the Senate election while still occupying the governorship.

Uzodimma first assumed office on January 15, 2020, before winning re-election in November 2023. His current tenure is expected to expire in January 2028.

As a result, he would still be governor when the January 16, 2027, senatorial election is conducted.

Legal commentators have cited Section 183 of the Constitution, which does not permit a governor to simultaneously hold the governorship and a Senate seat.

This means that even if Uzodimma wins the election, he would be required to resign as governor before assuming his legislative position.

The next Senate is expected to begin sitting in June 2027, approximately seven months before the governor’s tenure expires.

Speaking on Channels Television, Okorocha drew attention to the issue.

“You cannot hold two paid jobs,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that Uzodimma would not challenge the judgment on appeal, describing the issues as “too glaring,” although he acknowledged that the governor had the right to appeal.

“For now I am the APC candidate,” Okorocha declared.

He also dismissed the position taken by the Imo APC leadership, insisting that he was instrumental in establishing the party in the state.

“I was the founding father of this party,” he said, adding that the party structure in the state was his.

Former Governor Accuses Uzodimma of Power Obsession

In a fresh attack on his successor, Okorocha accused Uzodimma of prioritising political power over governance.

He said the governor “cannot be worked with by anybody because he is a tradesman and an opportunist.”

He further alleged that Uzodimma was more concerned about expanding his political influence than addressing the challenges facing Imo State.

“What occupies his mind now is not even governance. He is very aggressive about power. He can do anything to get power.”

Questioning the governor’s popularity beyond the Government House, Okorocha said Uzodimma “cannot carry Imo, cannot carry the Southeast.”

“It is in the villa here that Hope exists; he doesn’t exist down here,” he added.

He also stated: “Hope has never won any election.”

Okorocha described the governor’s political ambition as the South-East’s “only one problem,” alleging that he wanted to become governor, senator, vice president and chairman of every election committee.

“Sit down and govern your people,” he challenged Uzodimma.

Okorocha Backs Tinubu’s Second-Term Bid, Praises Wike’s Coalition Plan

Beyond his disagreement with Uzodimma, Okorocha used the television appearance to urge the South-East to support President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

He called on the region to pursue political cooperation rather than continued confrontation with the Federal Government.

According to him, the South-East should “stop protesting and start partnership” and “should not gamble with the future of our children.”

While expressing his affection for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), whom he described as a brother, Okorocha maintained that the region needed to adopt a strategic political approach.

He also commended the “rainbow coalition” proposal promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Although he clarified that he was not a member of the coalition, he said he wanted to adopt the arrangement and bring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political groups into an alliance supporting Tinubu.

In another challenge to Uzodimma, the former governor called for a direct test of their popularity among the people.

“Let’s move out and call the people and see what will happen,” he said.

Okorocha also claimed that his successor never expected him to take the dispute to court.

“I think justice spoke louder than he could imagine,” he said.

With the state APC leadership standing behind Uzodimma, the former governor celebrating his court victory and the governor’s camp preparing to appeal, the battle for the Orlu senatorial ticket has emerged as one of the major political flashpoints in Imo State ahead of the 2027 elections.

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