‘No more writing 300 results’: Okorocha hails court ruling on Imo West Senate Ticket

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has hailed the Federal High Court judgment in the dispute over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West, declaring that “justice has finally prevailed” and suggesting that the era of manipulating election results should be over.

Okorocha spoke on Thursday after Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the recognition of Governor Hope Uzodimma as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.

The court ordered the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its lawful candidate and directed the commission to replace Uzodimma’s name with that of the former governor.

Uzodinma and Okorocha

Reacting to the judgment, Okorocha drew parallels between the disputed primary and what he alleged were previous instances of electoral manipulation, insisting that the court’s decision had vindicated his position.

“Justice has finally prevailed. This was the same thing that happened when one person wrote more than 300 results, causing someone who came fourth to become number one,” he said.

The former governor added: “I appreciate the Nigerian judiciary, and it is evident that the Presidency is tired of this nonsense.”

Okorocha’s remarks appeared to be a reference to alleged manipulation of election results. However, his claims about the circumstances surrounding the disputed results were not independently established by his comments alone.

He commended the judiciary for its decision and urged his supporters in Imo West to remain calm while celebrating the ruling.

Court Faults Primary Documents

In its judgment, Justice Egwuatu held that Uzodimma did not win the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, which was monitored by INEC.

The judge declared Okorocha the lawful winner of the exercise, holding that documentary evidence before the court supported his claim to have secured the majority of lawful votes cast.

Justice Egwuatu also questioned the consistency and authenticity of documents submitted by the APC to justify Uzodimma’s nomination, identifying conflicting accounts of how the primary was conducted.

The court subsequently set aside INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name and ordered the commission to recognise Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The dispute followed the announcement of Uzodimma as the winner of the primary, with the official result reportedly crediting him with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes. A separate document circulated during the controversy purportedly showed Okorocha winning with 150,780 votes.

Okorocha challenged the outcome in court, contesting the governor’s nomination and INEC’s recognition of him as the party’s candidate.