Court sacks Uzodimma as APC’s Imo West senatorial candidate, orders INEC to recognise Okorocha

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the Imo West senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 common elections and changed him with Rochas Okorocha.

In a judgement on Thursday, Judge Obiora Egwuatu ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the identify of Mr Okorocha, a former governor of the state who was beforehand elected to signify the district within the Nigerian Senate, as the validly nominated candidate of the APC for the upcoming senatorial election.

The Punch reported that the choose directed Mr Uzodimma, chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, a peer-review group of APC governors, to cease parading himself as the APC candidate for the 16 January 2027 election.

Mr Egwuatu issued the orders in a swimsuit filed by Mr Okorocha difficult Mr Uzodimma’s nomination.

The choose dominated that adequate proof offered by Mr Okorocha confirmed that he, and never Mr Uzodimma, gained the 18 May APC main election monitored by INEC.

Mr Uzodimma reserves the fitting to enchantment the judgement within the case which is probably going to attain the Supreme Court for final decision.

Mr Okorocha beforehand served as a senator representing the Imo West senatorial district from June 2019 June 2019 to June 2023 through the ninth Nigerian Senate.

His election to the senate adopted his eight years as governor between May 2011 and May 2019.

His bid to return to the Senate has intensified the longtime rivalry between him and Mr Uzodimma, who turned governor by a controversial Supreme Court judgement in January 2020 regardless of the then-incumbent governor Okorocha backing one other candidate to succeed him.

Mr Uzodimma is in his second and ultimate four-year time period as governor, which ought to run until January 2028. If he finally prevails within the senatorial contest, he should resign as governor and forfeit the remaining six months of his tenure to take up the senatorial seat.

…More particulars later.