IMO WEST 2027: Uzodimma, Okorocha fight as gov’s bid raises constitutional question

The court will now have to determine the legal questions arising from Okorocha’s challenge, including the validity of the disputed primary result, the legal basis for INEC’s publication of Uzodimma’s name and the constitutional implications of a sitting governor seeking a Senate seat before the expiration of his tenure.

But beyond the battle over the party ticket, the suit has opened a fresh constitutional debate over the propriety of a sitting governor contesting a senatorial election when his tenure would still be running at the time the new Senate is inaugurated in 2027.

Ubani said the court would also have to examine whether the Constitution permits a sitting governor to contest a senatorial election and, if so, whether the candidate has satisfied the requirements for contesting.