Wike distances self from court ruling favouring Okorocha over Uzodimma

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that he influenced the court judgment which recognised former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the All Progressives Congress candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections. Wike spoke during a live media chat on Thursday in Port Harcourt, where he described the allegations as mischievous, stressing that he neither filed the suit nor had any involvement in the legal proceedings.

“First of all, anybody calling my name is being mischievous. I didn’t go to court. I’m not in APC. I don’t know what the issue is,” he said. Wike also reacted to reports that Governor Hope Uzodimma had warned, a day before the judgment, that he would seize the vehicles of anyone promoting the proposed Rainbow Coalition in Imo State. Describing the reported warning as uncivilised, the minister said: “They were saying that because a day before that judgment was given, he had openly warned people that, ‘No Rainbow Coalition here.

If I see… I’ll collect the vehicle for you.’ Very, very uncivilised.” He also clarified a video circulating online showing him dancing with Okorocha, saying it was recorded when he hosted the former governor while he was still in office. “Now they showed the video where Rochas and I danced when I hosted him when he was governor. So that was that dance,” Wike said.

The controversy followed a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Okorocha as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election. Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Okorocha emerged winner of the party’s senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026, rather than Uzodimma, and ordered INEC to substitute the governor’s name with that of the former governor.

The case was instituted by Okorocha, who challenged INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the primary. The court held that the evidence presented showed that Okorocha secured the majority of valid votes cast. The ruling has been contested by the Imo State chapter of the APC, while Uzodimma has indicated plans to appeal.