The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, October 29, nullified the nomination of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election for the 2027 elections.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, ordered Uzodinma to stop parading himself as the candidate on the grounds that he did not win the May 18 primary election conducted by the APC and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Egwuatu held that evidence presented before the court proved that former Governor Rochas Okorocha actually won the majority of the votes cast during the primary.
The judge ordered that Okorocha should be declared winner of the election.
He also ordered the APC to forward Okorocha’s name as candidate of the party for the Imo West Senatorial District.
Okorocha, in the suit, had challenged INEC over the publication of Uzodinma’s name as APC’s candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.
In the originating summons filed on August 13,Okorocha joined INEC, APC and Uzodinma as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.
He prayed the court to determine whether INEC was not bound by the reports of its officers who monitored the APC primaries duly conducted on May 18 for the nomination of its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District for 2027 general election in which he emerged the winner.
He also prayed the court to determine that having regard to the provision of Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the publication of Uzodinma’s name by INEC on Aug. 1 as winner of APC primary for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 poll was not wrongful.
Okorocha, therefore, sought 10 reliefs should his questions be answered in his favour.
He urged the court to declare that it was unconstitutional for INEC to publish, as done by it on Aug. 18, Uzodinma’s name as APC’s candidate when it was not him that emerged as the winner of the primary election conducted on May 18 May.
He sought an order setting aside or voiding the publication made by INEC on Aug. 1 which declared Uzodinma as the person that won the highest votes in the APC’s primary election held on May 18 to contest as the preferred candidate for Imo West Senatorial District come 2027.
Okorocha prayed the court for an order directing INEC to recognise and publish his name as the duly nominated candidate of APC to contest the poll, among others.
In the affidavit attached to the suit which was deposed to by Amen Rochas, he said Okorocha is his biological father.
He said by virtue of his position as Okorocha’s Personal Assistant on Political Matters, he was very conversant with the facts and circumstances stated by him.
