Rochas Okorocha refutes report of arrest order against him

Former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has refuted a report that a Nigerian court recently issued an arrest warrant against him.

A report recently surfaced online suggesting that a “senior magistrate’s court” in Abuja issued a ban-the-arrest warrant in September against Mr Okorocha, former senator Ifeanyi Araraume, and two others.

The report claimed the order followed allegations that Messrs Okorocha and Araraume forged the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial results for Imo West District.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly filed a petition with the police and the State Security Service (SSS) over the alleged fake APC senatorial results, which reportedly culminated in the arrest order.

‘No such bench warrant’

But in a statement on Saturday by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, Mr Okorocha, a former Imo West Senator, said no court issued any such order against him.

“We ask the general public to disregard the court order story. There was nothing like that. No such incident,” he said.

Continuing, the politician said: “Now that we have openly made this appeal, the burden now is on those behind the trending story of a court order for the arrest of Okorocha to unveil the court order or bench warrant. Let them make it public.”

The former senator claimed that one of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s media aides in Imo State was the first to leak the story before other media outlets, including a popular national TV station, published it.

He then challenged those who have circulated the story to make the court order public within 48 hours.

“After the 48 hours, and if they are not able to produce or publish the court order, the onus now would fall on the media establishments that were deceived into feeding the public the false story to do the needful.

“And the needful is to retract the story, and tender an apology. That’s the most civilised thing to do,” he said.

No petition by INEC against me

Mr Okorocha said, contrary to claims in the report, neither INEC nor the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, ever wrote any petition against him or asked that he be investigated.

“Rather, in his petitions, he asked the police and SSS to investigate a document in circulation that had portrayed Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary in Imo West Senatorial District. And the petition was dated Thursday, 8 October, 2026,” he said.

The politician argued that even if the petition was submitted the same day, the SSS and the police could not have concluded their investigations the following day, on 9 October, when the story began to circulate.

He also pointed out an error in the disputed report, stressing that it claimed the bench warrant was issued on 9 September 2026. In contrast, the petition the report claimed warranted the court order was dated 8 October 2026.

“In other words, the court order came before the petitions, and before the filing of the case.

“This is what you get when people decide to deceive, or to chase shadow,” he said of the alleged error in the disputed report.

‘Pursue peace if you want Tinubu’s reelection’

Mr Okorocha cautioned Governor Uzodimma’s media aides against insulting him or Mr Ararume, arguing that as a two-term governor and senator, he is an “outstanding” Igbo leader who deserves respect rather than insults

The former governor also warned that as the 2027 presidential election drew closer, anyone genuinely supporting President Bola Tinubu’s reelection bid “should desire peace, pursue peace and ensure peace.”

Background

The APC had organised its senatorial primary election for Imo West District on 18 May, which was officially won by Mr Uzodimma and later recognised by INEC.

However, there was controversy when a different document emerged which showed that Mr Okorocha had won the same APC primary

The disputed document listed Mr Okorocha as the successful candidate with 150,780 votes, despite initial results showing Mr Uzodimma scored 230,464 votes, while Mr Okorocha received 1,098 votes.

In October this year, INEC’s Imo State Office petitioned the SSS and the Nigeria Police Force over the disputed document.

In letters dated 5 October and 8 October, Mr Ibeziako, a lawyer, described the document naming Mr Okorocha as the winner as “fictitious.”

The INEC maintained that the authentic report of the 18 May primary identified Mr Uzodimma as the winner and that the APC had forwarded his name to the electoral body as its candidate.

The commission then attached copies of both the official report and the disputed document to its petitions and asked the security agencies to investigate the document’s source and authenticity.

Meanwhile, in August, Mr Okorocha filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against INEC, Mr Uzodimma and the APC.

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The politician asked the court to determine whether INEC was bound by reports from its officials who monitored the 18 May senatorial primary and whether the commission was right to recognise Mr Uzodimma as the winner.

The former governor also raised a constitutional question concerning Mr Uzodimma’s eligibility to contest the 2027 senatorial election while still serving as governor.

Mr Uzodimma’s second term will end in January 2028, while the next Senate is expected to be inaugurated in June 2027.

Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution provides that a state governor cannot, while holding office, hold another executive office or paid employment.

However, PREMIUM TIMES understands that Mr Zodimma had perfected plans to resign as governor before his tenure expired to switch to the Senate if he wins the general election.