Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has claimed that 90 per cent of Nigerian politicians currently holding public offices would not be in power if the country practised genuine democracy.
Okorocha attributed the situation to the imposition of candidates, electoral irregularities and the influence of political power brokers, arguing that many politicians occupying public offices were not elected through the genuine choice of the people.
He made the assertion during an interview on Arise News on Thursday while reacting to a Federal High Court judgment recognising him as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“If democracy is practised the way it should be practised, 90 per cent of people holding office in Nigeria cannot hold office,” he said.
According to him, many politicians emerged through imposition rather than credible electoral processes that allow voters to determine their preferred leaders.
“Most of them are not truly the choice of the people. These are people who are imposed, opportunists, who find their way,” the former governor said.
The court had nullified Governor Hope Uzodimma’s emergence as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Okorocha as the winner of the party’s May 18, 2026 primary.
The judgment followed a dispute over conflicting records of the primary election, with one set of figures crediting Uzodimma with 230,464 votes and Okorocha with 1,098 votes, while another document reportedly showed Okorocha winning with 150,780 votes.
Defending his position, Okorocha said he obtained certified documents from INEC on July 22, 2026, questioning the emergence of another document dated August 22, which he attributed to Uzodimma.
He maintained that the evidence supporting his claim was overwhelming, insisting that the court judgment was significant beyond his personal political ambition.
“My joy is not on the basis that I was declared a winner, but for the fact that so many misinformation claims were paraded in the news media,” he said.
Okorocha said the case raised broader concerns about the credibility of political party primaries and Nigeria’s electoral process.
He also maintained that the dispute was about protecting the interests of voters and ensuring that political parties respect the outcome of their internal elections.
“It’s about the people,” he said.
Uzodimma has indicated his intention to appeal the judgment.
Okorocha, however, expressed confidence in the ruling, insisting that the court’s decision had vindicated his position in the disputed APC primary.
The former governor’s remarks come amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections and renewed debates over candidate selection, party primaries and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Sources: Arise News report; The Sun report.
