Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the judgment, also ordered the incumbent Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for 16 January 2027.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Okorocha challenging Uzodimma’s recognition as the party’s candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.
The court held that the evidence before it established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary election conducted on 18 May 2026 and monitored by INEC.
Consequently, the judge directed the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to the electoral commission for publication as its candidate for the election.
The dispute arose from conflicting claims over the outcome of the party’s primary election. INEC’s official results had recognised Uzodimma as the winner with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha was recorded as having secured 1,098 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Okorocha instituted suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, challenging INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate.
The former governor also raised questions about Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the senatorial election while serving as governor of Imo State.
The court’s decision places Okorocha at the centre of the APC’s Imo West senatorial candidacy dispute ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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