Rochas suffers defeat as Owerri court fails to recognise Uche Nwosu as APC governorship candidate

IMO State governor Rochas Okorocha has lost another major legal battle after an Owerri high court upheld a claim filed by deputy governor Prince Eze Madumere quashing the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary elections held on October 6.

In what was a major setback for the governor, the court presided over by Justice Kemakolam Ojiako, upheld the prayers of Prince Madumere, annulling the election of Uche Nwosu, Governor Okorocha's son-on-law and anointed successor. Mr Nwosu was purportedly elected at the convention but the APC submitted the name of his rival Senator Hope Uzodinma to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) as its official candidate.

Since then, Mr Nwosu has been seeking to get the decision reversed but his opponents, including Prince Madumere, who Governor Okorocha tried to get impeached, have been fighting back. In his ruling, Justice Ojiako said that the October 1 APC primary that elected Senator Uzodinma was credible, relevant and meets the parameters for the exercise.

Prince Madumere had also urged the court to hold that the contestants, except the governor’s son in-law, have since, accepted that the October 1 party primary, was the only relevant and valid primary electioneering process, through which Senator Hope Uzodinma emerged winner. Justice Ojiako equally upheld that, saying his judgement was based on the subsisting order of the court, granted by Abuja High Court, restraining the APC from conducting any fresh primary elections until the determination of the matter before it over October 1 primary election.

“With today’s judgment, the foundation upon which Mr Nwosu is defiantly parading himself as the governorship candidate of APC, Imo State, has been quashed. This has laid to rest, all Okorocha and his son-in-law’s claims over who the standard bearer of the party is,” Prince Madumere added.

Governor Okorocha and Mr Nwosu have accused the APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole of compromising the process to favour Senator Hope Uzodinma. In return, Mr Oshiomhole has accused Governor Okorocha of wanting him to compromise the primary election process in Imo State so as to help him build a family political dynasty.