By Ikechukwu Ozurumba
Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ideato Federal Constituency, comprising Ideato North and Ideato South Local Government Areas of Imo State, have disowned former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s alleged claim to the political support of the constituency in his ongoing legal and political confrontation with Governor Hope Uzodimma over the APC Imo West Senatorial ticket for the 2027 general elections.
The stakeholders, who made their position known during a press conference, held on Sunday 1st November, 2026 at the State party secretariat, Owerri, where they declared that neither the APC leadership nor faithful members in Ideato Federal Constituency had endorsed Okorocha’s position or adopted any resolution supporting his political battle against Uzodimma.
The press statement was read by Sir Ikechukwu Umeh, PhD, APC National Ex-Officio (South-East), on behalf of the party’s leaders and stakeholders in the constituency.
They said the press conference became necessary to correct what the stakeholders described as a misleading impression being created by Okorocha and his political associates that Ideato APC leaders were in support of his confrontation with Uzodimma, whom they described as the party’s duly elected candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections.
“We wish to state categorically, without equivocation, that no such endorsement or resolution has been made by the APC leadership and stakeholders of Ideato Federal Constituency,” the leaders declared.
The release state that the stakeholders completely dissociated themselves from any attempt to appropriate the name, authority and collective political identity of Ideato APC to advance individual political ambitions or personal legal battles.
According to the statement, nobody should use the name of the constituency to mislead the public or create a false impression of a political consensus that does not exist.
On the controversy surrounding the APC senatorial primary election, the stakeholders of ideato recalled that the exercise for Imo West Senatorial District was conducted on Monday, May 18, 2026, across the 12 local government areas of Orlu Zone.
The leaders noted that the exercise was conducted under the supervision of the party’s constituted electoral committee, with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies monitoring the process.
According to the statement it disclosed that the Chairman and Returning Officer of the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee for Imo State, Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda (rtd.), announced Uzodimma as the winner with 230,464 votes, against the 1,098 votes recorded for Okorocha.The declaration, it state , was made at the party’s senatorial collation centre at the Orlu Local Government Headquarters.
The release state that the figures represented the official results announced by the party’s returning officer and demonstrated the overwhelming preference of APC members across the senatorial district.
According to the stakeholders they reject attempts to use alternative narratives, questionable political claims or disputed documents to rewrite the outcome of the primary election.
The leaders noted concern over what they described as attempts by Okorocha’s political associates to drag the Ideato APC leadership into a political contest which, according to them, had already been decided through the party’s primary election.
They argued that those seeking political relevance should not sponsor an aggrieved aspirant and subsequently present his personal grievances as the collective position of APC stakeholders in Ideato.
On the judicial aspect of the controversy, the release states that they acknowledged the judgment delivered on October 29, 2026, by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, concerning the dispute over the APC Imo West Senatorial ticket.
While reaffirming the stakeholders’ respect for the judiciary as an important institution of democracy, they noted that respect for the courts did not preclude legitimate disagreement with a judicial decision or the exercise of the constitutional right of appeal.
They however, expressed concern that the judgment had generated renewed controversy over the officially announced outcome of the May 18 primary election.
The stakeholders consequently called on the general public, the media, the national leadership of the APC and party faithful to disregard any statement or political arrangement falsely presented as the collective position of Ideato APC in support of Okorocha’s confrontation with Uzodimma.
They emphasised that their priority remained the continued development of Ideato North and Ideato South, insisting that the constituency’s collective political identity must not be sacrificed on the altar of individual political grievances.
“We will not mortgage the future of our constituency on the altar of personal political grievances, nor will we permit individuals to use our collective identity to advance interests that run contrary to our party’s decisions,” the statement declared.
Reaffirming their political position, the stakeholders said they recognised Uzodimma’s leadership, appreciated his administration’s interventions in Ideato and supported every lawful effort to protect the outcome of the party’s primary election that produced him as its candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.
The statement was jointly endorsed by Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, APC South-East Vice Chairman; Sir Ikechukwu Umeh, PhD, APC National Ex-Officio Member, South-East; Rt. Hon. Okechukwu Udeze, member of the Imo State House of Assembly representing Ideato North; Chief Ifeanyi Okafor, APC Apex Leader, Ideato North; Engr. Chigozie Unogu, APC Chairman, Ideato North; and Dr Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, State Publicity Secretary.
