2027: Tinubu Can Be Sure Of Victory In Imo With My Name On Ballot — Okorocha

Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win Imo State in the 2027 presidential election if he is on the ballot as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.

Okorocha is locked in a battle with his successor, Governor Hope Uzodimma, over the APC ticket for Imo West, with both laying claim to victory in the party’s primary election.

The APC, however, submitted Uzodimma’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate, prompting Okorocha to challenge the decision in court.

On Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory High Court ruled that Okorocha secured the majority of votes cast in the primary and should be declared the winner.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today hours after the judgment, Okorocha said his presence on the ballot would guarantee Tinubu’s victory in the state.

“What is important to me now is how will Asiwaju be elected in Imo State. With this my name coming on the ballot paper now, Asiwaju can be sure that his victory is given in Imo State,” he said.

The former governor celebrated the ruling, insisting that the judiciary was not for sale. He also said Uzodimma had “met his waterloo”, alleging that the court had pronounced his documents “were forged”.

Okorocha urged people in the South-East to approach the 2027 presidential election strategically, advising the Igbo to put political calculations ahead of emotions.

According to him, supporting Tinubu would amount to a strategic alliance that could benefit the South-East politically in the future.

“As Southeasterners we are not going to politics now with emotions, we have to go to politics with strategy. So, supporting Tinubu for Ndigbo is a strategic alliance.

“We cannot afford to gamble for four years. Any time Nigerians think it is the time for Ndigbo to be president, we should be proper presidents.”

Okorocha added that he would work more effectively with other South-East governors to secure Tinubu’s victory in the region if he were placed in charge of the president’s campaign in Imo State.

However, the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, rejected the judgment, describing it as “a complete travesty of justice”. He said the state government would approach the Court of Appeal to seek its reversal.

The Imo APC has also maintained that Uzodimma remains its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.