Okorocha Breaks Silence After Court Victory, Speaks On Tinubu Impact In Imo’s Politics

According to a report by Vanguard on Thursday 29 October 2026, former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has reacted to the Federal High Court judgment recognising him as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Imo West, praising President Bola Tinubu and declaring that the state’s political shackles have been broken.

Okorocha made the remarks on Thursday while receiving members of his legal team following the judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court ruled that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026, and ordered the party to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.

The court also directed Governor Hope Uzodimma to stop parading himself as the APC candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District.

Speaking after the judgment, Okorocha expressed gratitude to the judiciary, describing the decision as a victory not just for him but for the people of Imo State.

“I thank the judiciary for standing on the side of justice; I could imagine what would have happened in the state if they decided to twist justice; This is a victory for Imo State,” he said.

The former governor subsequently praised Tinubu, drawing a connection between the President’s traditional cap, which features a symbolic shackle, and the outcome of the legal battle.

According to Okorocha, the judgment had given the people of Imo State a clearer understanding of the symbolism associated with the President’s cap.

“This is also the first time the Imo people will understand the sign of the shackle on President Tinubu’s cap; By this judgment, the shackle on Imo State has been broken, and it is also evident that the President is tired of this nonsense and that he is not in support of it,” he said.

Although Okorocha expressed appreciation to Tinubu, he did not provide evidence that the President had intervened in the dispute or influenced the court’s decision.

The legal battle followed disagreements over the APC senatorial primary in Imo West, with Okorocha challenging the recognition of Uzodimma as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming election.

The controversy became more intense after INEC maintained that its official records showed Uzodimma as the winner of the primary, with 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.

The electoral commission also petitioned the police and the Department of State Services over a disputed document circulating online that allegedly identified Okorocha as the winner of the exercise.

INEC’s position and the conflicting documents generated questions about the authenticity of the records being presented in connection with the primary.

Reacting to the controversy, Okorocha questioned the documents reportedly used to support the claim that Uzodimma emerged through consensus.

He argued that the inclusion of individual scores in the documents appeared inconsistent with the assertion that the governor had been selected through a consensus arrangement.

The former governor also raised concerns over discrepancies in the dates recorded in the documents, pointing out that one reportedly listed May 16 as the date of the primary, while the exercise was held on May 18.

“So which one did the court really dwell on?” he asked, questioning the documentary evidence surrounding the dispute.

Okorocha further addressed reports of his alleged arrest, revealing that he chose not to respond publicly when the news first emerged.

“When the news broke out that I was arrested, I refused to make any comments,” he stated.

The court’s decision marks a significant development in the struggle for the APC ticket in Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections; Its directives place the responsibility on the party to submit Okorocha’s name to INEC, while the dispute has drawn renewed attention to the political rivalry between the former governor and Uzodimma.

The development could also have wider implications for the APC’s preparations in Imo State as the party moves towards the next electoral cycle.

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