How I Defeated Uzodimma In Court – Okorocha

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has disclosed that he secured his judicial victory against Governor Hope Uzodimma by exposing major documentary irregularities in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo West senatorial primary election records, while asserting that he remains the backbone of the party in the state.

Okorocha made these assertions during an appearance on Arise News’ Prime Time on Thursday, following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja declaring him the legitimate APC flagbearer and directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish his name for the 2027 senatorial election.

Dismissing party members mobilised against him, the former governor challenged the authority of the APC leadership structure in Imo State, characterizing them as political allies of Uzodimma rather than genuine party officials.

“Rochas is the APC in Imo State. I was a founding father of this party,” Okorocha said. “The structure of APC in Imo State is Rochas. And I gave the name APC.”

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court had earlier issued an order restraining Uzodimma from presenting himself as the APC candidate for Imo West, ordering the party to submit Okorocha’s details to INEC for the scheduled January 16, 2027 election.

The landmark judgment concluded a suit filed by Okorocha contesting INEC’s initial recognition of Uzodimma following the party’s May 18 primary election.

Detailing the forensic evidence presented to the bench, Okorocha explained that he formally requested and received Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the primary results from INEC on July 26, 2026.

He alleged that rival documents presented by Uzodimma’s legal team were submitted to the commission on August 22—nearly a month after he had already secured official INEC certification—describing the opposing filings as an afterthought.

Okorocha pointed to glaring discrepancies in the primary dates, noting that documents submitted in favor of Uzodimma claimed the election took place on May 16, whereas the monitored exercise occurred on May 18.

He further highlighted contradictions regarding claims that Uzodimma emerged via a consensus arrangement, noting that a consensus could not exist when multiple aspirants contested and individual votes were recorded.

“All the misinformation on social media about my documents have been put to rest because the court has found out that the documents are genuine and correct,” Okorocha stated.

The former governor revealed that result sheets across more than 300 polling units spanning 144 wards and 12 local government areas appeared to be completed in a single individual’s handwriting, with several ward sheets left blank despite showing collated totals at the LGA level.

Addressing why he did not file the suit within the statutory 14-day pre-election window, Okorocha explained that he possessed certified documents confirming his victory and only discovered on September 1 that his name had been substituted on the official list.

While Uzodimma and the APC argued that the suit was time-barred and maintained that Uzodimma won the primary with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098, the court resolved the documentary contradictions in Okorocha’s favor.

Expressing confidence in the strength of his legal victory, Okorocha noted that while his opponents retain the right to appeal, the documentary evidence validated by the court remains unassailable.