Why We Arrested, Released Okorocha — Police

The Nigeria Police Force has explained that the arrest of former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, was linked to allegations of criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation arising from a disputed document on the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary in Imo State.

The police said Okorocha was arrested on Monday night at the REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja after allegedly failing to honour previous invitations extended to him over the matter.

The Force spokesperson, Aniete Iniedu, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed the development to Channels Television, saying the former governor was released on bail after about an hour of interrogation.

Iniedu said Okorocha had been directed to return to the Force Headquarters on Tuesday for further questioning as investigations into the allegations continued.

The arrest followed a controversy over the APC senatorial primary for Imo West District, in which Governor Hope Uzodimma was declared the winner.

The party conducted the primary on May 18, with the initial results indicating that Uzodimma scored 230,464 votes, while Okorocha received 1,098 votes.

However, a different document subsequently emerged, claiming that Okorocha had won the exercise with 150,780 votes, raising questions about the authenticity and origin of the disputed result.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through its Imo State office, petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police over the document.

In letters dated October 5 and 8, INEC reportedly described the document identifying Okorocha as the winner as fictitious and urged the security agencies to investigate its source and authenticity.

The commission maintained that its authentic report of the May 18 primary identified Uzodimma as the winner and that the APC had submitted the governor’s name to the electoral body as its candidate.

INEC reportedly attached copies of both the official report and the disputed document to its petitions to facilitate the investigation.

The police have not publicly disclosed the full details of the evidence against Okorocha or the specific circumstances surrounding the alleged offences.

The former governor had reportedly been invited to the Force Headquarters on September 2, but the appointment was rescheduled to September 8 at the request of his lawyers. He was subsequently said to have failed to appear on the rescheduled date.

Meanwhile, Okorocha had filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja in August against INEC, Uzodimma and the APC over the recognition of the governor as the party’s senatorial candidate.

In the suit, he asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by the reports of its officials who monitored the primary and whether the commission was right to recognise Uzodimma as the winner.

He also raised questions about Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the 2027 senatorial election while still serving as governor.

The arrest comes amid growing political tension surrounding the APC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Although Okorocha has been released on bail, the police have indicated that investigations are ongoing, with further interrogation expected.

The allegations against the former governor have not been established in court.