Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to nullify Governor Hope Uzodimma’s nomination as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 election.

Okorocha, who represented Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023, is also asking the court to recognise him as the APC’s validly nominated candidate for the election.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, was filed on August 13 by Okorocha’s lawyer, O.J. Aboje. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Uzodimma and the APC are listed as defendants.

Okorocha is challenging INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name as the winner of the APC senatorial primary held on May 18.

According to the suit, the court is being asked to determine whether INEC is bound by reports submitted by its officials who monitored the primary election.

Okorocha is also questioning Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the senatorial election while serving as governor. He cited Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits a sitting governor from holding another executive office or paid employment.

Uzodimma began his second term as governor in January 2024 and is expected to remain in office until January 2028. The 11th National Assembly is scheduled to be inaugurated in June 2027, meaning he would still be governor if elected to the Senate.

However, officials of the Imo State Government have indicated that Uzodimma would vacate the governorship for his deputy to complete the tenure if he wins the senatorial election.

The election for the Senate, House of Representatives and President is scheduled for January 16, 2027.

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Amen Rochas, Okorocha’s son, alleged that the APC conducted a direct primary on May 18 in which Okorocha scored 150,780 votes against Uzodimma’s 102,158 votes.

This differs from the result announced by Williams Kayode, chairman and returning officer of the 2026 Imo APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, who declared Uzodimma the winner with 230,464 votes.

Okorocha is therefore asking the court to declare INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name unconstitutional and void and to direct the commission to recognise and publish his name as the APC’s candidate for Imo West.

He is also seeking an order restraining the APC and its agents from presenting Uzodimma as the party’s candidate for the election.

The suit ultimately seeks a judicial determination of which aspirant was validly nominated by the APC to contest the Imo West senatorial election.

Uzodimma is the chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and the Renewed Hope campaign group for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.

The case had not been assigned to a judge as of the time of filing this report.