Senator Rochas Okorocha has said President Bola Tinubu can count on winning Imo State in the 2027 elections if his (Okorocha's) name is on the ballot, Channels Television reports. The former Imo governor made the remark in the wake of a court ruling that removed Governor Hope Uzodimma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West senatorial seat.
According to Channels Television, Okorocha tied his own electoral strength in the state to the president's fortunes. The report did not give further details of his statement or where he made it.
The court decision, reported by Premium Times Nigeria, sacked Uzodimma as the APC's Imo West candidate and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Okorocha instead. TVC News also reported the order for INEC to publish Okorocha as the party's candidate for the district.
Okorocha described the ruling as the removal of restrictions on Imo, TheCable reported, saying the state's "shackles" had been broken. The APC has rejected the outcome, with Punch Newspapers reporting that the party insists Uzodimma remains its Imo West candidate despite the court's decision.
The dispute leaves the party and the electoral commission at odds over who legitimately holds the ticket. What to watch next is whether INEC acts on the court order and how the APC pursues its challenge to the ruling.
