The last may not have been heard of the battle between the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma and former governor of the State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, on who will fly the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag in the 2027 Imo West senatorial election as the certified true copy (CTC) of a report by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) obtained by Pogressive Lawyers Forum shows that
Okorocha won the APC Orlu Zone Senate primary election.
INEC has also confirmed that Senator Okorocha, Alexander Mbata and Patrick Chiwuba Ndubueze emerged winners of the APC senatorial primaries conducted across the three senatorial districts of Imo State ahead of the 2027 general election.
The confirmation was contained in an Election and Party Monitoring Department report on the Imo State APC Senatorial Primary Elections held on May 18, 2026, obtained in Abuja.
According to the report released by the group, the primaries were conducted simultaneously across Imo East, Imo West and Imo North Senatorial Districts, beginning at about 2:30pm.
The electoral exercise, which was monitored by INEC officials, was organised by a seven-member committee headed by retired Rear Admiral Williams Kayode.
The commission’s report listed Mbata Alexander as the APC candidate for Imo East, with 121,680 votes; Okorocha as the party’s candidate for Imo West, with 150,780 votes; and Ndubueze Patrick Chiwuba as the candidate for Imo North, with 108,826 votes.
INEC said the mode of election adopted by the APC for the senatorial primaries was direct primary.
The commission stated that its independent monitoring established that the three aspirants recorded the highest number of valid votes cast in their respective senatorial districts.
“From our independent monitoring of the primary, Mbata Alexander in Imo East Senatorial Zone, Sen. Ethelbert Rochas Okorocha in Imo West Senatorial Zone, and Ndubueze Patrick Chiwuba in Imo North Senatorial Zone scored the highest number of valid votes cast in their respective Senatorial Zones,” the report stated.
The report, dated June 16, 2026, was signed by Gyang D. Dung, Team Lead, Imo Monitoring Team, and certified as a true copy by the relevant INEC office in Abuja.
Meanwhile, in a press statement, the Progressive Lawyers Forum stated that the development was critical to Orlu (Imo West) people having the senatorial candidate they wanted in the person of Rochas Okorocha.
The Forum described the INEC report as a significant document that should guide the determination of who legitimately emerged from the APC senatorial primary in Imo West.
According to the forum, the certified report provides an official record of the outcome monitored by the electoral commission and therefore raises important questions about any subsequent claim that another aspirant emerged as the party’s candidate.
The forum further stated that the people of Orlu Senatorial District deserve clarity and certainty on the candidate who emerged from the primary election, stressing that the issue should be resolved strictly on the basis of the applicable rules, electoral records and credible documentary evidence.
It maintained that the certified copy of the INEC report would form part of the documents to be relied upon in the ongoing legal process.
It urged all parties involved to allow the courts to determine the matter, expressing confidence that the judiciary would carefully examine the relevant electoral documents and make a determination in accordance with the law.
The forum added that the eventual judgement would bring clarity to the controversy and settle the question of who validly emerged from the APC senatorial primary for Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
