Wike, Okorocha in wild jubilation, taunts Uzodinma after downfall in Court – Video

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike and ex-Senator Senator Rochas Okorocha on Thursday went into wild jubilation immediately after the Federal High Court judgement delivered in favour of Okorocha in matters of Imo West Senatorial District.

Both danced to a local Igbo music in celebration of the judgement in what suggested that both of them were comfortable with the Justice Obiora Egwuatu-led Federal High Court judgement asking the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to delist Governor Hope Uzodinma and publish Rochas Okorocha’s name as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.

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CAPITAL POST on Thursday reported that Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that Senator Hope Uzodinma whose name was earlier published by the INEC did not win the election based on evidence brought before the honourable Court.

The ruling All Progressives Congress held primary election on May 18, to produce candidate to represent Imo West Senatorial District in the 11th National Assembly. The exercise ended in deadlock with claims and counterclaims as Uzodinma who is a sitting governor contested for the seat and Okorocha who was equally a former governor of Imo State, who want to return to the Senate also claim victory.

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With the Judge’s directive to INEC to publish the name of Okorocha as the right candidate, the APC in Imo State rejected the outcome and insisted on Governor Uzodinma as the party’s candidate.

CAPITAL POST recalled the long standing political acrimony between Nyesom Wike and Hope Uzodinma to their days in the Peoples Democratic Party.

The peak of the acrimony was when Wike insisted on fielding his political ally and former National Secretary of his factional PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu to contest governorship of Imo in the 2023 general election.

Uzodinma did not find it funny for Wike to overstep his boundaries to Imo with himself seeking a re-election, and the crisscross of interest deepened crisis between Wike and Uzodinma.

Wike is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party till date and a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT in the administration of APC-led government. He maintains his foothold on a factional PDP and still floated a group he called ‘Rainbow Coalition’.

Wike claims that the Rainbow Coalition was a conglomeration of political parties that would work for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He attempted to have inroad into the APC with his ‘Rainbow Coalition’ in guise of a support group for President Bola Tinubu, but met resistance from APC governors who insisted that Wike is not a member of APC and couldn’t have force his group on them.

Uzodinma is the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum. He openly rejected Wike’s move to bring ‘Rainbow Coalition’ into APC’s Campaign team. The issue degenerated into lampooning of each other until the intervention of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima who appealed to parties to sheath swords.

Wike is probably the best Minister in Tinubu’s cabinet interms of performance, but has antecedents of controversies. He is wird. He single-handedly destroyed the PDP, the once largest political party in Africa. He is feared by political actors, hence when he sneezes, others catches cold.

Hope Uzodinma is at par with Wike politically. Both of them are weird; both are political wizards and have political mischiefs as their stock in trade. When chicken lays egg in one of them, it has already hatched in the other.

Amid war of words, Wike told Uzodinma that the era of ‘number three become number one’ was gone, clearly referring to Imo Governorship Election in 2019 when Hope Uzodinma was number on votes scored, but exploited technical loopholes and went to Court. The case proceeded from Tribunal to the Court of Appeal up to the Supreme Court and he was declared winner.

That Judgement remains a mystery till date.

Uzodinma’s interest to return to Senate before the expiration of his current tenure as governor was considered in some quarters as political desperation. Suspicion was rife that he was eyeing the Senate presidency in the 11th National Assembly. A position currently occupied by Senator Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom State in the South South, Nigeria.

Akpabio was said to be rallying round colleagues to support him when they return to Senate in 2027. He also enjoys the support of Nyesom Wike to retain his position.

On October 15, 2026, the no vacancy seat in the Senate was coded in Akpabio’s remarks when, “With the position of President and Vice President already settled, the Senate Presidency is now the target of political attacks.”

Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno representing Borno North Senatorial District, moved a motion that there is no vacancy in Senate Presidency and Godswill Obot Akpabio will continue to occupy the seat. The motion was backed by Senator Cyril Oluwole Fabiyi representing Ekiti North Senatorial District backed the motion and it was passed.

Some political analysts have said the development in the Nigerian Senate was targeted at blocking Governor Uzodinma from eyeing the Senate Presidency. Uzodinma was said to be leveraging on his position as Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum to takeover Akpabio’s seat.

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