The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has maintained that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election, despite a fresh court ruling in favour of former governor Rochas Okorocha.
The party said Uzodimma emerged victorious in its senatorial primary and insisted that its position on the nomination would be guided by the outcome of a review by its legal department.
In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, PhD, the APC reaffirmed its support for the governor’s candidacy, maintaining that he secured the party’s ticket through the primary election.
“The Party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our Party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great Party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our Party members,” the statement said.
The party also indicated that it would examine the legal developments surrounding the disputed nomination before deciding on its next move.
“The Party’s legal department shall study the outcome of a legal intervention in this matter and act accordingly.”
The position comes as the dispute over the APC’s Imo West senatorial ticket takes a new turn following a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled in a suit filed by Okorocha challenging the recognition of Uzodimma as the APC’s candidate for the district in the 2027 election.
The court held that Okorocha won the party’s senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and ordered the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The ruling directly affects the party’s earlier recognition of Uzodimma as its flagbearer and places the nomination dispute at another critical stage.
Okorocha had approached the court to challenge INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate.
He argued that the commission ought to recognise the result of the primary election as recorded by its officials who monitored the exercise.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, listed INEC, the APC and Uzodimma as respondents.
The former governor asked the court to set aside the recognition of Uzodimma and direct INEC to publish his name as the duly nominated candidate of the party.
The judgment has now introduced a fresh legal development into the disagreement, while the APC’s statement indicates that the party intends to consider its legal options before taking further action.
The controversy also raises questions about how the party will reconcile its position with the court’s directive and whether it will pursue an appeal or adopt another course of action through the appropriate legal process.
The APC has not, in the statement provided, announced a final decision on an appeal. Its legal department is expected to study the judgment before the party communicates its next steps.