The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has denied influencing the Federal High Court judgment recognising former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha as the All Progressives Congress candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 elections.
Wike made the clarification during a live media chat in Port Harcourt on Thursday, describing suggestions that he influenced the judgment as mischievous.
He insisted that he had no involvement in the case, adding that he neither instituted the suit nor belonged to the APC.
“First of all, anybody calling my name is being mischievous. I didn’t go to court. I’m not in APC. I don’t know what the issue is,” he said.
The FCT minister also criticised Governor Hope Uzodimma over reports that he threatened to seize the vehicles of anyone promoting the proposed Rainbow Coalition in Imo State.
Wike described the reported threat as uncivilised, questioning the governor’s alleged warning shortly before the court delivered its judgment.
“They were saying that because a day before that judgment was given, he had openly warned people that, ‘No Rainbow Coalition here. If I see… I’ll collect the vehicle for you.’ Very, very uncivilised,” he said.
He also addressed a viral video showing him dancing with Okorocha, explaining that the footage was recorded when he hosted the former governor while he was still in office.
“Now they showed the video where Rochas and I danced when I hosted him when he was governor. So that was that dance,” Wike said.
The controversy followed a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Okorocha as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Okorocha won the party’s senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026, and ordered INEC to replace Uzodimma’s name with that of the former governor.
Okorocha had approached the court to challenge INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the primary.
The court held that evidence presented before it showed that Okorocha secured the majority of valid votes cast.
The Imo State chapter of the APC has challenged the ruling, while Uzodimma has indicated plans to appeal the judgment.
