Court Orders Arrest Of Okorocha, Araraume Over Forged APC Primary Results
ABUJA, NIGERIA — A Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Jiwa, Abuja, has ordered the immediate nationwide arrest of former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and former Senator, Ifeanyi Araraume, over their alleged involvement in the forgery of All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election results.
The court issued bench warrants under case numbers CR/M/JW/084/2026 and CR/M/JW/085/2026, directing the Inspector-General of Police to apprehend the political heavyweights.
Also named in the arrest warrants are two co-defendants, Timothy Ama Chuks and Amen Okorocha. All four individuals face serious criminal charges, including criminal conspiracy, forgery, and the presentation of false documents.
The Fake Primary Results
The criminal charges stem from an allegedly falsified APC primary election report dated May 18, 2026. The document in question falsely declared Rochas Okorocha as the winner of the APC ticket for the Imo West (Orlu) senatorial district.
The conspiracy unravelled after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) flagged the document.
In a formal petition signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State, Chukwuemeka Ibeziako, INEC clarified that its official, duly signed field report affirmed sitting Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as the authentic and undisputed winner of the primary election.
INEC raised the alarm over the “fraudulent and fictitious” document circulating on social media and subsequently handed the matter over to the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) for criminal investigation.
Severe Legal Backlash
The magistrate’s swift arrest order has triggered a wave of legal pushback within the ruling party.
The APC Progressive Lawyers Forum has officially petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), demanding a probe into the Abuja magistrate’s actions.
The legal forum argues that the magistrate court’s sudden intervention interferes with a separate, high-stakes matter pending before a Federal High Court regarding the Orlu and Okigwe senatorial tickets.
The lawyers are urging the NJC to halt the execution of the arrest warrants, calling for a review of the magistrate’s jurisdiction in the matter.
