By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Merit Newspaper reports that conflicting accounts have emerged over the alleged arrest of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, amid a dispute over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Imo West Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general election.
Reports circulating in the media on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, claim that police operatives arrested Okorocha at the REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja on Monday night over allegations linked to a disputed APC senatorial primary result document.
However, this publication has not seen an official statement from the Nigeria Police Force independently confirming the arrest. The development also follows a strong denial by Okorocha’s camp of earlier reports that a court issued a warrant for his arrest. The Merit Newspaper will continue to monitor the situation and report further developments as reliable information becomes available.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha challenged those circulating reports of an arrest warrant to make the alleged court order public within 48 hours. His camp maintained that no court had issued such an order against him and questioned the timeline presented in the reports.
The controversy stems from the disputed APC primary for Imo West Senatorial District, also known as Orlu Zone, held on May 18, 2026. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has maintained that its official record identifies Governor Hope Uzodimma as the winner of the exercise, while a separate document circulating on social media purportedly presented Okorocha as the successful candidate.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, reportedly petitioned the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) in letters dated October 5 and October 8, asking the security agencies to investigate the origin and authenticity of the disputed document. The commission described the document as fictitious and attached copies of the official report and the disputed version to its petitions.
Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State and former senator representing Imo West, has also taken the dispute to court. In a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026, he challenged INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the APC’s senatorial candidate and sought judicial determination of the validity of the primary result and related constitutional questions.
The legal dispute includes questions surrounding Uzodimma’s reported intention to contest the Senate seat while serving as governor. Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, restricts a sitting governor from holding another executive office or paid employment. The precise implications for the circumstances raised in the suit remain matters for legal interpretation and judicial determination.
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Meanwhile, Okorocha’s camp has questioned the credibility of the reports concerning the alleged arrest warrant, arguing that the reported date of the warrant preceded the October petitions said to be connected with it. The former governor has also called for restraint in public exchanges surrounding the dispute, while insisting that those responsible for circulating the warrant report should produce the document or retract their claims.
As the controversy continues, the immediate questions are whether the reported arrest actually occurred, whether the purported warrant can be independently verified, and what findings the security agencies may reach regarding the disputed primary result document. These issues should be resolved through verifiable evidence and the appropriate legal processes rather than speculation or unsubstantiated political allegations.
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The Merit Newspaper will continue to follow the developments involving Rochas Okorocha, Hope Uzodimma, INEC and the APC, providing updates when confirmed information becomes available. Until the relevant authorities clarify the reported arrest, the claim should be treated as unconfirmed, while the established dispute over the primary result and the competing positions of the parties remain matters of public interest.
