A Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja has reportedly issued bench warrants for the arrest of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and two other individuals over allegations linked to disputed All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election documents.
The warrants, dated September 9, 2026, were reportedly issued by Senior Magistrate Court 3, Jiwa, Abuja, in two separate cases marked CR/M/JW/084/2026 and CR/M/JW/085/2026.
The proceedings were instituted in the name of the Inspector-General of Police against Okorocha, Araraume, Timothy Ama Chuks and Amen Okorocha over allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and the use of allegedly false documents.
According to the court documents cited in the report, the warrants empower police officers across the country to apprehend the named individuals and bring them before the court.
The case centres on documents purportedly showing that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary for Imo West Senatorial District, also known as Orlu Zone, ahead of the 2027 general election.
The development comes amid a dispute over who emerged as the party’s candidate for the senatorial seat, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) maintaining that the official results submitted by the APC identified Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as the winner.
Meanwhile, INEC has reportedly rejected a document circulated by Okorocha purporting to show that he won the APC senatorial primary in Imo State.
In a letter dated October 8, 2026, the electoral commission petitioned the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), urging both security agencies to investigate the disputed document.
The letter, addressed to the Commissioner of Police in Imo State and the state’s DSS counterpart, was signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako.
INEC described the document in question as a “fraudulent and fictitious All Progressives Congress senatorial party primary report for Imo State dated 18th May, 2026.”
According to the commission, the APC had submitted an authentic primary election report to its headquarters identifying Uzodimma as the winner of the contest. The governor’s name was subsequently forwarded to INEC as the party’s candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.
However, a separate document circulated on social media allegedly presented Okorocha as the winner, prompting the commission to raise concerns over its authenticity.
INEC maintained that the document it received directly from the APC contradicted the version being circulated in Okorocha’s name.
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In its petition, the electoral commission reportedly enclosed copies of the primary election report it described as authentic, alongside the disputed document, for examination by the security agencies.
It urged the police and the DSS to investigate the circumstances surrounding the emergence and circulation of the conflicting reports.
INEC also warned that the alleged conduct could have wider security implications if left unaddressed.
The commission appealed to the security agencies to investigate what it described as a spurious act, warning of its potential to trigger a breakdown of law and order in Imo State.
The petition adds a security dimension to the disagreement over the APC’s senatorial nomination, with the disputed documents now at the centre of both electoral and criminal allegations.