Imo West: Wike Distances Self From Okorocha, Uzodimma Court Dispute

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied involvement in the court judgment that removed Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Imo West, questioning why the governor was afraid of the Rainbow Coalition.

Wike said he neither instituted the legal action nor belonged to the APC, insisting that he had no knowledge of the issues surrounding the dispute that resulted in the judgment recognising former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, as the winner of the party’s senatorial primary.

The minister spoke on Thursday during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while responding to questions about allegations linking him to the court ruling.

“First of all, everybody calling my name is being mysterious. I didn’t go to court. I’m not in APC. I don’t know what the issues are,” he said.

Wike suggested that the allegations might have been fuelled by comments allegedly made by Uzodimma a day before the judgment, in which the governor reportedly threatened members of the Rainbow Coalition.

He said the failure of the threatened action might have prompted people to attribute the court decision to him.

“I think people are saying that because a day before that judgment was given, he had openly warned people that those rebel coalition here, if I see, I’ll cut out the vehicle for you. Very, very, very uncivilised and watch it.

“So when that did not happen, they just credited that it was me. How would it have been me?” Wike queried.

The FCT minister also referenced a video showing Okorocha visiting him during his tenure as Rivers State governor, saying the meeting was not evidence of any involvement in the legal dispute.

Turning to the political controversy surrounding the Rainbow Coalition, Wike questioned why its activities had become a source of concern, particularly when its members were not asking supporters of other political groups to abandon their candidates.

“What is the reason people are afraid of the Rainbow Coalition? What is the problem?” he asked.

Explaining the coalition’s political arrangement, Wike said its members could support a presidential candidate while maintaining separate political structures and mobilising their own supporters for other electoral contests.

According to him, the arrangement does not necessarily conflict with the interests of other political groups because each group retains its supporters and political objectives.

He argued that where supporters of different groups agree to vote for the same presidential candidate, their combined votes would strengthen the candidate’s chances without requiring them to merge their political structures.

“You have your own group, you are campaigning. It’s not the same people that are campaigning. That group will only vote for you,” he said.

Wike further maintained that the coalition’s political activities should not be interpreted as a threat to other groups, particularly as its members were supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“In any case, you are supporting Mr President, for Christ’s sake. For Christ’s sake. Your business is to make sure, first things, Mr President wins the election,” he said.

He added that securing Tinubu’s victory should remain the priority ahead of the 2027 general election, rather than allowing disagreements over political alignments to undermine the president’s chances.

“As it is today, anybody who talks about the priority of this, probably you too should be there to support him when he wins the election. That’s my priority,” Wike added.

LEADERSHIP reported last week that Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the APC candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The judge issued the order after holding that Uzodimma did not win the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In his judgment, Egwuatu held that evidence presented before the court established that Okorocha secured the majority of votes cast during the primary and was therefore entitled to be recognised as the winner.

However, the APC in Imo State rejected the judgment, describing it as troubling and raising concerns over its constitutional validity, judicial precedents and the evaluation of evidence presented before the court.