Uzodimma Defies Senate Ticket Controversy, Insists Nobody Can Take Imo West Seat From Him
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has insisted that nobody can take away his All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West, maintaining his position despite a Federal High Court judgment recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Uzodimma made the declaration on Sunday, November 8, after attending Mass at the Government House Chapel in Owerri, where he urged residents to campaign for APC candidates ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Addressing supporters, the governor dismissed suggestions that his senatorial ambition could be derailed by the ongoing legal dispute.
“If they tell you that I will hold this ticket and somebody will collect it and give it to another, tell the person it is a lie,” he declared.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to the ruling party, urging residents to support APC candidates across the various legislative constituencies in the state.
“For House of Assembly, it is APC. For House of Representatives, it is APC,” he said.
The governor subsequently identified the APC candidates he expects party supporters to back in the three senatorial districts of Imo State, naming Senator Patrick Ndubueze for Okigwe Zone, himself for Orlu Zone and Alex Mbata for Owerri Zone.
His comments come against the backdrop of a contentious legal battle over the APC’s senatorial ticket for Imo West, where he is seeking to represent the district in the Senate after completing his second term as governor.
On October 29, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified Uzodimma’s recognition as the APC candidate for the district and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace his name with that of Okorocha.
The court held that Okorocha was the lawful winner of the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and directed the party to forward his name to INEC.
The judge also restrained Uzodimma from presenting himself as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.
In reaching its decision, the court identified inconsistencies in documents presented by the APC to support Uzodimma’s nomination and questioned the party’s account of how the primary election was conducted.
The judgment followed a suit filed by Okorocha, who challenged the recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the primary.
However, Uzodimma’s camp has rejected the court’s decision. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Oguike Nwachuku, had earlier described the judgment as a travesty of justice and disclosed that the governor intended to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.
The Imo State chapter of the APC has also maintained that Uzodimma remains its candidate, insisting that he won the primary with overwhelming support from party members.
The latest declaration by the governor therefore signals his determination to maintain his senatorial ambition despite the judicial setback, as the dispute over the Imo West ticket continues to generate political tension within the APC.
With the court directing INEC to recognise Okorocha and the governor maintaining that nobody can take the ticket away from him, the next legal steps in the dispute will be crucial in determining who eventually flies the APC flag in the senatorial contest.