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Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has welcomed the Federal High Court judgment recognising him as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West, describing the decision as a triumph of justice.
Okorocha spoke to journalists on Thursday following the ruling by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the APC to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.
The court also ordered Governor Hope Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the senatorial seat, holding that evidence before it established that Okorocha won the party’s primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
Reacting to the judgment, the former governor expressed confidence in the court’s decision and challenged the party or any other interested party dissatisfied with the outcome to pursue an appeal.
“All the court agreed with me,” Okorocha said. “But if they want to appeal, let them appeal. I’ll tackle them on it.”
He maintained that his position throughout the dispute had been informed by his confidence in the evidence presented before the court, adding that he had chosen to await the judicial determination rather than engage in prolonged public exchanges over the controversy.
Okorocha also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the collation of results from the party’s senatorial primary, particularly the records from the 12 local government areas that make up the district.
According to him, questions surrounding the preparation of the results and discrepancies between ward-level scores and figures recorded during local government collation were central to the dispute.
He alleged that entries across the 12 local government areas were made by one person and questioned how some ward result sheets could contain no scores while figures appeared in the corresponding collation records.
The former governor further addressed allegations of document forgery that emerged during the controversy, urging security agencies to investigate those responsible for any falsified records rather than target individuals he considered innocent.
“The police should go after those who forged and not go to an innocent man who presented a document,” he said.
Okorocha commended Justice Egwuatu for what he described as a clear-headed assessment of the case. He also expressed appreciation to his legal team and a forensic expert who, he said, had encountered difficulties because of his involvement in the matter.
Describing the judgment as evidence that justice could prevail irrespective of the interests involved, Okorocha said the outcome would help restore public confidence in the judiciary.
The dispute arose from the APC’s senatorial primary for Imo West, where Okorocha challenged the process that produced Uzodimma as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming election.
The ruling represents a significant development in the political contest for the Orlu Senatorial District, which Uzodimma currently seeks to represent in the Senate ahead of the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.
However, the political implications of the judgment will depend partly on the response of the APC and whether any appeal is pursued against the decision.
For Okorocha, the ruling marks a major breakthrough in his bid to return to the Senate, where he previously represented Imo West from 2019 to 2023.
