The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ezenwo Nyesom Wike and the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, both men who many Nigerians regard as serial election riggers, engage in dog fight over political differences, even as the court strips Uzodinma hopes of Senatorial ambition in 2027
By Our Correspondent
Both men are regarded as the most notorious election riggers. For governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, his immediate predecessor Rochas Okorocha, has alleged that he (Uzodinma) couldn’t have won his first term election as governor for scoring only 6,000 votes where his opponents scored tens and hundreds of thousands of votes. Uzodinma was to deploy alleged criminal manipulation in connivance with some unscrupulous staff of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), to score himself higher than the front runners in that governorship election. Unfortunately, keen watchers of the events at the time had claimed, the judiciary which had allegedly been captured by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under late President Muhammadu Buhari, amid protestations by Imo citizens, conferred winner on Uzodinma.
Events watchers in Imo State had also claimed that the governorship election of 2024 in Imo State which ushered in Uzodinma’s second term was heavily militarized, manipulated and rigged in favour of the now embattled Uzodinma who was the incumbent governor at the time.
The latest in the alleged rigging profile of Uzodinma is the May 18 primary election of the APC in Imo which was duly won by serving Senator Okorocha, but the party was to unlawfully declare Uzodinma the winner to the chagrin of Okorocha’s supporters. Although the court has upturned Uzodinma’s victory at the Senatorial primary election, Okorocha has alleged that where as the election held on May 18, 2026, and monitored by INEC officials, Uzodinma’s purported result was written by only one individual, and dated May 16, 2026 two days before the primary election was held. Okorocha said that was part of the reasons the court slammed Uzodinma.
For Wike the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the alleged rigging of the presidential election of 2023 in Rivers State in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, analysts argued, defined him as a serial rigger. Many alleged that Wike has never won in any free and fair election in Nigeria.
At present, these two ardent supporters of Tinubu reelection are at daggers drawn over their political interests. Analysts alleged that both men share similarities in alleged corrupt practices chiefly among them being their election manipulation prowess. But now they are at each other’s jugular.
Wike who at present has no formidable party identity, has founded what he called “Rainbow Coalition”, a movement comprised of APC and other fringe parties in Rivers State, to support Tinubu’s reelection. However, many APC governors have distanced themselves from the coalition, including Uzodimma who is the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).
Uzodinma’s stance on the Rainbow Coalition has since escalated the feud between him and Wike, while Wike has also gone to pitch tent with Okorocha in spite of Uzodinma. Wike has also vowed to resist Uzodinma’s Senate presidency ambition.
NO RAINBOW COALITION IN IMO-UZODINMA
Uzodimma has declared that he would never tolerate Wike’s rainbow coalition in Imo State, insisting that members of the APC will work together to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Uzodimma spoke on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 during the distribution of campaign vehicles under the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement in Imo State.
He said, “There is no rainbow coalition in Imo State,” while addressing members of the movement and other APC supporters at the event.
He said the group’s members were expected to work for Tinubu’s re-election, warning that he would withdraw the vehicles given to them if they worked outside the APC.
“If I see you walk outside APC, I will collect the vehicle from you. You are here, you are empowered to work for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our All Progressives Congress,” he said.
Uzodimma said the movement was helping to publicise the achievements of Tinubu’s administration and mobilise support for the President’s second term.
He said the governor’s administration had assessed Tinubu’s performance and decided to support his re-election, while acknowledging that more work remained to be done.
Uzodinma’s remark came amid disagreement between APC governors and Wike, over his Rainbow Coalition, which seeks to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election across party lines.
Wike has maintained that the arrangement is separate from the APC and allows its members to support Tinubu for president while backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative elections.
However, APC governors have expressed concern that such an arrangement could weaken the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
NO SENATE PRESIDENCY FOR UZODINMA – Wike
Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had said he would not support Imo State Governor Uzodimma’s reported ambition to become President of the Senate after the 2027 elections.
Wike made the declaration on Monday, October 26, during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, amid his growing disagreement with Uzodimma and other All Progressives Congress governors over his proposed Rainbow Coalition.
According to Wike, the opposition of some APC governors to his Rainbow Coalition was linked to attempts to influence the next leadership of the National Assembly.
“APC in their ongoing party primaries, the governors, in their own wisdom, believe that they should be able now to put senators or House of Reps members who they will dictate to who will become the next Senate President or the Speaker,” Wike said.
He specifically accused Uzodimma, who chairs the PFG, of pursuing the Senate presidency after his tenure as Imo governor ends.
“This man’s office will expire in January 2028. Now, he wants to leave his office to run for Senate. I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be Senate President of Nigeria,” Wike said.
Wike said politicians who had lost out in the APC’s nomination process could seek alternative platforms to contest the 2027 elections, potentially producing lawmakers outside the control of the governors.
UZODINMA SLAMMED
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja stripped Uzodinma of senatorial candidacy of the APC for the Imo West Senatorial election slated for January 16, 2027.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu on Thursday, October 29, 2026 held that evidence before it established that Governor Uzodinma was not the valid winner of the primary election of the APC conducted in the senatorial zone on May 18, which was monitored by the INEC.
The court said Senator Okorocha who scored the highest number of votes cast at the primary election ought to have been nominated by the party, which instead submitted the sitting governor’s name to the electoral umpire as its candidate.
Thus, Justice Egwuatu ordered INEC to forthwith recognise Senator Okorocha and publish his name as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial poll.
It further issued an order barring Governor Uzodinma from presenting himself as the candidate of the APC for the election. But the Imo State government said it would appeal the judgement.
