Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has vowed to appeal the Federal High Court judgement recognising his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, because the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District within the 2027 elections, describing the previous governor as “chasing shadows”.
Mr Uzodimma’s Chief Press Secretary, Oguike Nwachuku, stated the governor thought-about the judgement a “travesty of justice” and was assured it could be overturned by the Court of Appeal.
“Obviously, the Governor will appeal the judgement which is a travesty of justice,” Mr Nwachuku instructed PREMIUM TIMES on Friday in response to questions on Mr Okorocha’s allegations towards the governor and his (Okorocha) account of the disputed APC senatorial major.
The governor’s response adopted Mr Okorocha’s look on Arise News’ Prime Time on Thursday, the place he claimed that he remained the dominant political determine within the APC in Imo State and accused Mr Uzodimma of counting on paperwork containing irregularities to safe the social gathering’s senatorial ticket.
Mr Okorocha had declared that “the structure of APC in Imo State is Rochas”, insisting that his political affect within the state remained intact regardless of opposition from the governor’s camp.
In a PREMIUM TIMES report the previous governor additionally alleged that paperwork supporting Mr Uzodimma’s emergence because the social gathering’s candidate contained inconsistencies, together with discrepancies within the major’s date, the outline of the train as a consensus association and end result sheets allegedly accomplished by one individual throughout 144 wards and 12 native authorities areas.
Mr Nwachuku, nevertheless, dismissed Mr Okorocha’s account and insisted that the governor received the first by an awesome margin.
Uzodimma’s account of the first
According to the governor’s spokesperson, there was a direct major in Imo West as a result of Mr Okorocha rejected the consensus association adopted within the different two senatorial districts.
He stated political stakeholders in Owerri Zone, which produces the Imo East senatorial seat, and Okigwe Zone, which produces Imo North, opted for consensus preparations that produced Prince Alex Mbata and Senator Patrick Ndubueze, respectively.
Mr Nwachuku stated Mr Okorocha insisted on contesting towards Mr Uzodimma throughout the 12 native authorities areas in Imo West.
He insisted that the governor received the competition with 230,464 votes towards Mr Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.
The spokesperson stated officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been current in the course of the train, whereas the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, led by its chairman and returning officer, Williams Kayoda a retired rear admiral supervised the method throughout the native authorities areas.
He maintained that the end result was reliable and accused Mr Okorocha of making an attempt to undermine the APC by difficult the end result.
“Rochas Okorocha is simply chasing shadows and intentionally working against the interest of the APC he claims to be a founding member and the re-election of President Bola Tinubu,” he stated.
Dispute over APC management
Mr Nwachuku additionally rejected Mr Okorocha’s declare to management the APC construction in Imo State, arguing that the social gathering’s guidelines recognise sitting governors as leaders of the social gathering of their respective states.
He stated President Bola Tinubu remained the nationwide chief of the APC, whereas Mr Uzodimma managed the social gathering’s construction in Imo State.
“By the APC rules, the governors are the leaders of the party in their states while the president is the leader in the country. I’m not aware that rule has changed,” he stated.
He accused Mr Okorocha of making an attempt to personalise a celebration construction that belonged collectively to its members, including that the previous governor was unwilling to submit to the social gathering’s management.
Mr Nwachuku additionally criticised Mr Okorocha’s eight-year administration in Imo State, describing it as a household system of presidency and blaming his efficiency in workplace for his alleged lack of political relevance.
He dismissed the previous governor’s public celebration of the court judgement, arguing that the ruling wouldn’t survive an appeal.
“No responsible leader anywhere in the world will appear on television the way Okorocha did to celebrate a judgement he knows will be thrown out at the appeal for lacking in facts and for being against the rules of the party,” he stated.
He additionally dismissed Mr Okorocha’s claims of continued recognition amongst voters in Imo West and the state.
Mr Nwachuku concluded his response with the expression caveat emptor, which means purchaser beware, urging the general public to scrutinise the previous governor’s claims.
Background to the court dispute
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, had ruled in favour of Mr Okorocha within the dispute over the APC’s Imo West senatorial major.
The court declared him the validly nominated candidate of the social gathering and directed INEC to recognise him for the 2027 senatorial election.
The judgement adopted a go well with filed by Mr Okorocha difficult INEC’s recognition of Mr Uzodimma because the winner of the social gathering’s 18 May major.
During his interview, Mr Okorocha stated he obtained licensed copies of paperwork relating to the first from INEC on 26 July 2026, whereas paperwork supporting Mr Uzodimma’s emergence had been introduced to the fee on 22 August.
He alleged that the later paperwork contained inconsistencies, together with a discrepancy within the date of the election and the outline of Mr Uzodimma’s emergence as a consensus candidate regardless of the existence of competing aspirants.
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He additional claimed that end result sheets overlaying greater than 300 polling models throughout 144 wards and 12 native authorities areas had been accomplished by one individual.
Mr Okorocha additionally questioned the circumstances surrounding a letter allegedly submitted to the APC nationwide chairman by the Imo resident electoral commissioner, arguing that the doc supporting his personal declare was licensed by INEC, whereas the one supporting Mr Uzodimma was licensed by the APC.
He alleged that these discrepancies had been a part of the proof that persuaded the court to recognise him because the winner.
However, Mr Okorocha’s allegations of doc irregularities and forgery stay disputed by the governor’s camp. Mr Nwachuku insisted that the first was correctly performed underneath the supervision of INEC officers and the APC’s nationwide election committee.
The APC had additionally indicated that it could research the judgement and pursue out there authorized treatments.
The dispute is the newest chapter within the political rivalry between the 2 males. Mr Okorocha ruled Imo State from 2011 to 2019 and subsequently represented Imo West within the Senate from 2019 to 2023.
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