Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has launched a fresh attack on his successor, Governor Hope Uzodimma, describing him as an “opportunist” and questioning his political influence in Imo State and the Southeast.
Okorocha claimed that Uzodimma lacked the political strength to command support across the Southeast, insisting that the incumbent governor's popularity among Imo residents was no match for his own political standing.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the former governor alleged that Uzodimma was more concerned about political interests than governance, adding that his influence was largely confined to the corridors of power at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“Hope Uzodimma cannot be worked with by anybody because he is a chance man. He’s an opportunist. What preoccupies his mind now is not even governance,” Okorocha said.
He further challenged Uzodimma to test his popularity among the people of Imo State, declaring that the governor could not match his political record.
“Hope cannot carry Imo; cannot carry the Southeast. It’s in Abuja, in the Villa here that Hope exists. He doesn’t exist down here, and I challenge him. Let’s move out and call the people and see what will happen,” he added.
The comments come amid a fresh political confrontation between the two former allies over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okorocha had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the recognition of Uzodimma as the APC candidate for the senatorial district and seeking a declaration that he was the authentic winner of the party's primary.
The dispute followed conflicting claims over the outcome of the primary. While the Independent National Electoral Commission recognised Uzodimma, citing official results of 230,464 votes against Okorocha's 1,098, a separate document later circulated claiming that Okorocha won with 150,780 votes.
The former governor, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, also questioned Uzodimma's eligibility to contest the senatorial election while still serving as governor, given that his tenure is expected to end in January 2028.
Okorocha argued that Uzodimma's bid for the Senate raises constitutional questions about holding two remunerated public offices simultaneously, citing Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution.
He maintained that the governor's tenure would still be running when the next Senate is inaugurated in May 2027, creating what he described as a conflict between the two positions.
Beyond the dispute over the senatorial ticket, Okorocha also unveiled plans to establish a political alliance, which he described as a “Rainbow Coalition”, to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027.
Drawing comparisons with the political approach associated with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Okorocha said the proposed coalition would bring together politicians across party lines in support of Tinubu.
“We’re going to start Rainbow Coalition. We’re going to bring PDP, all of them, to support Tinubu to win, and some people will step down from their positions to just make sure we achieve one common goal,” he said.
He explained that the coalition would prioritise governance and strategic political cooperation over party affiliations.
On the position of former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, who has advocated a four-year presidential tenure, Okorocha described the proposal as a political gamble that could undermine the Southeast's future presidential ambitions.
Although he praised Obi as a “fantastic gentleman”, Okorocha said he believed supporting Tinubu for another term would serve as a strategic political alliance that could strengthen the Southeast's prospects of securing support from other regions when it seeks the presidency.
“We are supporting Tinubu not on an emotional and sentimental basis, but for a strategic alliance, so the next time we could say we supported; we need support for this time,” he added.
