Primaries: Uzodimma clinches APC Imo West Senatorial District ticket

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State on Monday emerged the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Imo West Senatorial District after polling 230,464 votes.

Retired Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda, the Chairman and Returning Officer of the 2026 Imo APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, declared the result at Orlu Local Government Area headquarters.

According to the chairman of the committee, Uzodimma defeated a former governor of the state, Senator Rochas Okorocha.

Kayoda said Okorocha garnered 1,098 votes at the party primary election held across 12 local government areas of the senatorial zone.

He said: “I hereby formerly declare that his Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has satisfied all the requirements of the party constitution, the guidelines as well as the relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Having scored the highest number of valid votes of 230,464 votes, he is hereby declared the winner of the APC Imo West Senatorial District Primary election.”

Kayoda had also declared Senator Patrick Ndubueze winner of the Imo North Senatorial District primary election after polling 108,862 votes to defeat Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, who scored 79 votes.

Earlier, Uzodimma had expressed confidence in APC’s strength to emerge victorious in the 2027 general election and described the primary election as “peaceful, transparent and widely accepted by party members across the state.

“You can see how committed the party members are and the loyalty they have shown since we started this primary.”

He said APC had continued to grow stronger in the state, particularly at the grassroots.

He said: “It is a good thing. 

“APC has come to stay in Imo.”

The Chairman of Oru East Local Government Area, Ikenna Adikibe, commended party members for what he described as “their maturity, discipline and orderly conduct throughout the exercise.”

Adikibe said the process was devoid of violence, destruction or electoral crisis across the state.

He said: “The exercise was peaceful. 

“People conducted themselves appropriately and we thank God that there was no ugly incident reported anywhere.

“Overall, it was a successful outing.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of nine aspirants purchased nomination forms for the Senate primaries across the three senatorial districts of the state.