Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has officially joined the contest for the Imo West Senatorial seat in the 2027 elections, ending months of speculation over his next political with over a year to the expiration of his current position as Imo governor.
Uzodinma’s next move was confirmed on Saturday in Abuja after he appeared before the screening committee of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the party’s 2027 primaries.
The governor, who dismissed growing opposition alliances as politically insignificant, said his focus was on representing his people in the Senate and not on lobbying for leadership positions.
“It was a very good exercise and great, of course. APC is one family, and we know ourselves. Following the requirements of the party, I had to submit myself for proper screening, and they have done that,” Uzodinma said.
“To the best of my knowledge, I think they are satisfied, and I am eligible.”
His appearance before the screening panel effectively confirmed widespread reports that he would seek a return to the National Assembly through the Imo West Senatorial District.
Speaking on recent political developments, including the decision of the Nigeria Democratic Congress to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, Uzodinma insisted the ruling party remained dominant nationwide and had nothing to fear from opposition coalitions.
“The problem I have with the media is that you know the truth, yet you always want to dance around it. In a country of 36 states, 31 are sufficiently transparent members of the APC,” he stated.
“Look at that proportion. Thirty-one states are already for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Apart from some states that are shared politically, if you add them together, you will know that Nigeria has spoken already.”
The governor also questioned the political strength and national spread of the NDC.
“So we are not threatened by anybody. First of all, this party that zoned the presidential ticket to the South — where is their head office?” he queried.
Addressing speculations surrounding the 2027 Senate leadership contest, Uzodinma distanced himself from any ambition for principal offices in the upper chamber.
“My ambition is to go to the Senate to represent my people. We don’t ask for leadership from the grassroots. When I get to the Senate, whatever rules we meet, we will follow,” he said.
Uzodinma’s tenure as Imo Governor will elapse in January 2028.
Also speaking, APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, dismissed suggestions that the ruling party was under pressure from opposition realignments ahead of the next general elections.
“Never at all. Why should we be afraid? If you look at it now, the fight is not between APC and ADC or any other political party, but ADC versus NDC,” Yilwatda said.
“So now we have been vindicated when people said APC was fighting the opposition. Everybody has now seen clearly that it is the opposition fighting themselves.”
The APC chairman argued that electoral strength should be measured by structures and victories on the ground rather than media attention.
“All the by-elections, the ADC has won none. The major opposition we have is actually the PDP, and even the PDP has not done very well in terms of performance in the election field,” he stated.
“Performance is not on TV, not on radio, not in newspapers; it is on the field during elections.
“What numbers are they talking about? Seventeen legislators? We have over 400 legislators. Four hundred compared to 17 is just a meagre number.”
Yilwatda further boasted that the APC remained Nigeria’s most formidable political platform with overwhelming political structures across the federation.
“We have over 2,000 local governments and more than 600 local government chairmen. APC is the most prepared and most outstanding political party that can face anybody,” he added.
He also clarified reports surrounding the absence of some governors from the ongoing screening exercise, saying they were attending to official responsibilities in their states.
“Why are you singling out one governor? Three governors have not appeared. They all have their reasons because they are chief executives of their states with responsibilities.
“Any governor who has state issues to attend to — whether from Kwara, Ebonyi or Rivers — can be excused. Whenever they are free, the screening committee will provide a slot for them,” he said.
