DistantNews
Support us
Uzodimma, Okorocha Clash Over Imo West Senatorial Ticket, Raising Constitutional Questions
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Uzodimma, Okorocha Clash Over Imo West Senatorial Ticket, Raising Constitutional Questions

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A legal battle is unfolding between former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and his successor, Governor Hope Uzodimma, over the APC senatorial ticket for Imo West in the 2027 elections.
  • Okorocha has filed a lawsuit challenging Uzodimma's candidacy, seeking to be recognized as the party's nominee and questioning the governor's eligibility to contest while still in office.
  • The case raises a constitutional question about whether a sitting governor can run for senator when their gubernatorial term extends beyond the Senate's inauguration in 2027.

A significant political and constitutional dispute is emerging in Imo State, Nigeria, as former Governor Rochas Okorocha challenges the eligibility of his successor, Governor Hope Uzodimma, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for the Imo West district in the 2027 general elections. The long-standing rivalry between the two politicians has escalated to the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.

— Section 183 of the 1999 ConstitutionThe constitutional provision cited in the lawsuit regarding a governor holding other offices.

Okorocha, who previously served as the senator for Imo West from 2019 to 2023, has filed a suit asking the court to nullify the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) publication of Uzodimma's name as the APC candidate. Okorocha seeks to be declared the rightful nominee for the party.

The core of Okorocha's legal challenge hinges on Section 183 of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution. This section stipulates that a governor cannot hold any other executive office or paid employment while in office. Uzodimma, who began his second term as governor on January 15, 2024, is expected to serve until January 15, 2028. The 2027 senatorial election and the subsequent inauguration of the 11th Senate in June 2027 would occur before his current gubernatorial term concludes.

The Constitution allows a certain ground upon which you can cease to be a governor and one of them is resignation. So, if he resigns under the law, has he not fulfilled the constitutional requirement?

— Dr. Monday UbaniA Senior Advocate of Nigeria commenting on the potential implications of resignation for Governor Uzodimma's eligibility.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and constitutional lawyer Dr. Monday Ubani described the situation as a "very complex, novel constitutional issue." He noted that the court would need to determine if Uzodimma would resign from his governorship before assuming a potential Senate seat. Ubani also raised preliminary questions about the nature of the suit, specifically whether it is being filed as a pre-election matter under the Electoral Act or constitutional provisions.

Though I have not read the suit and its process, the first question I would want to ask is, is it coming as a pre-election issue? If it’s coming as a pre-election issue, is it coming under the Electoral Act or is it coming under the prov

— Dr. Monday UbaniA Senior Advocate of Nigeria raising preliminary questions about the legal framework of the case.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog