Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has exchanged words with his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally, with a brief encounter between the two politicians attracting attention amid their ongoing dispute over the party’s Imo West senatorial ticket.
The incident occurred when Okorocha appeared to seek the governor’s attention after noticing that he had not acknowledged him.
In a video circulating on social media, the former governor was heard calling out to Uzodimma and asking, “Governor Hope, didn’t you see me?”
Uzodimma responded with the remark, “You’re a small boy,” while the two politicians exchanged greetings and handshakes.
The exchange was accompanied by laughter and appeared to be a moment of political banter between the two former allies.
The encounter comes days after a Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment that removed Uzodimma as the recognised APC candidate for the senatorial district and declared Okorocha the winner of the party’s disputed primary election.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on October 29, 2026, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Okorocha as the party’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 senatorial election.
The court held that the former governor secured the majority of lawful votes during the APC primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
It consequently ordered the party to forward his name to INEC and restrained Uzodimma from continuing to present himself as the candidate for the district.
The ruling followed a legal challenge instituted by Okorocha after he disputed the result of the primary and questioned the circumstances surrounding Uzodimma’s emergence as the party’s flagbearer.
The governor’s camp, however, has rejected the judgment and maintained that Uzodimma remains the APC candidate for Imo West.
The party’s leadership in the state had also insisted that the governor won the primary with the support of the majority of its members.
Okorocha governed the state between 2011 and 2019 before representing Imo West in the Senate from 2019 to 2023.
Uzodimma succeeded him as governor in 2020 and is now seeking to represent the same senatorial district in the National Assembly.
In a related development, Okorocha had earlier spoken about his victory in the court case, describing the judgment as a major development for the people of Imo State and the country’s democratic institutions.
On October 29, shortly after the judgment, the former governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the judiciary and residents of Imo West for their support during the legal battle.
He described the ruling as a victory that went beyond his personal political ambition, insisting that it represented an important moment for democracy and the rule of law.
In his reaction, Okorocha said: “This is a victory for the entire residents of Imo West. This is the first time the Imo people will understand the sign in President Tinubu’s cap: the broken shackle.”
He further stated: “By this judgment, Imo have joined the broken shackle. That is, the shackles on Imo state have been broken.”
The former governor also expressed gratitude to residents of the senatorial district who celebrated the court decision, saying their response demonstrated the importance of the development to the people.
However, the controversy surrounding the senatorial ticket did not end with the court judgment.
On October 30, Okorocha appeared on Arise News’ Prime Time programme, where he explained the circumstances that led to his legal action against the governor, the APC and INEC.
During the interview, he questioned the documents presented in support of Uzodimma’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
He alleged that there were inconsistencies in the records submitted to establish the outcome of the primary election.
Okorocha maintained that the documents in his possession initially indicated that he had won the exercise before he discovered that another result had been submitted to the electoral commission.
He also challenged the political structure supporting Uzodimma in Imo State, insisting that his influence within the APC had not diminished.
Speaking during the interview, he declared: “Rochas is the APC in Imo State. I was a founding father of this party.”
He added: “The structure of APC in Imo State is Rochas. And I gave the name APC.”
The former governor maintained that he had no reason to challenge the primary result until he discovered that his name had been displaced from the records.
He explained that he obtained certified copies of documents relating to the exercise from INEC on July 26, 2026, but later discovered that documents supporting Uzodimma’s emergence had also been submitted to the commission.
According to him, the differences between the documents formed part of the basis of his challenge before the Federal High Court.
Meanwhile, the governor’s camp has continued to defend the process that produced Uzodimma as the party’s candidate, insisting that the primary was properly conducted.
Another disagreement emerged on November 4, 2026, when Okorocha publicly criticised Uzodimma over alleged comments made by members of his camp against the judge who delivered the October 29 judgment.
The former governor called on Uzodimma to caution his aides and allow the legal process to run its course rather than allow supporters to attack the judiciary over an unfavourable decision.
Okorocha expressed concern over remarks reportedly made by the governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff and an APC National Vice Chairman, who had criticised the judgment.
He questioned why some political actors appeared to support the judiciary when its decisions favoured them but condemned the institution when rulings went against their interests.
Speaking during the development, Okorocha said: “So, it means that whenever the judgment is for Hope then, it is good but, whenever it is against him then the Judiciary is evil. I think this is very uncivilised. I want him to caution his attack dogs and his people to refrain from insulting judges. It doesn’t represent this nation well, and I feel particularly hurt.”
He also urged the governor to concentrate on the available legal options, pointing out that the judgment could still be challenged through the appellate courts.
“At least the Supreme Court is there,” he said.
Okorocha further questioned the arguments raised against the judgment, particularly claims surrounding the date of the APC primary and the manner in which Uzodimma was declared the winner.
He challenged the governor to personally address the issues instead of allowing his associates to speak on his behalf.
“If you (Uzodimma) think any of the things I am saying is not true and that the judgment is not true, Hope should come to television or come and speak,” Okorocha said.
The former governor also maintained that the judiciary should be allowed to perform its constitutional responsibilities without intimidation or unnecessary attacks from political actors.
