Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has secured a court ruling in his dispute with Governor Hope Uzodinma over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Thursday, October 29, that Uzodinma did not emerge victorious in the party’s May 18 senatorial primary, directing the APC to present Okorocha’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Summit Nigeria reported.

The court’s decision followed a legal challenge filed by Okorocha in August after the electoral commission recognised Uzodinma as the party’s candidate. Okorocha had asked the court to overturn that position and recognise him as the winner of the primary.

In its determination, the court found that Okorocha obtained the highest number of votes in the exercise monitored by INEC. It consequently ordered the party to forward his name for the Imo West contest scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The judgment conflicts with INEC’s earlier position that Uzodinma won the primary, leaving the court’s ruling as a significant development in the dispute over the party’s choice for the senatorial district.

The decision concerns the APC’s nomination and does not determine the eventual winner of the 2027 senatorial election.