Imo Commissioner Criticizes Court Ruling Declaring Okorocha APC Primary Winner

The Imo State Commissioner of Information, Declan Emelumba, has spoken out against a recent court ruling that named former governor Rochas Okorocha as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the Imo West Senatorial District.

Emelumba called the judgment a “complete travesty of justice” and announced plans to appeal the decision in the Court of Appeal. He argued that the ruling contradicts previous decisions made by the Supreme Court.

According to Emelumba, the judge ignored established legal principles. He claimed that the court had received evidence showing that Okorocha’s case was based on forged documents. The commissioner pointed out that a Supreme Court ruling requires that any challenges to primary election results must be filed within 14 days of the election, which was not followed in this case.

Okorocha filed his case 87 days after the primary election held on May 18, 2026. Emelumba emphasized that this delay should have invalidated Okorocha’s claim to the victory.

In a related decision, Justice Egwuatu ordered the current governor, Hope Uzodinma, to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the upcoming Imo West Senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027. The judge ruled that Uzodinma did not win the primary election and stated that Okorocha should be recognized as the candidate based on the evidence presented.