South-East APC Youths have issued a strong and uncompromising warning that any attempt to sabotage Governor Hope Uzodinma over the Imo West senatorial ticket will be met with mass action and total resistance across the zone.

The youths rose in defence of the Imo State Governor following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja on Thursday which purported to nullify his recognition as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of former Governor Rochas Okorocha instead.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, has been firmly rejected by the Imo State chapter of the APC and is now facing growing resistance from progressive youths across the South-East.

In a collective position, South-East APC Youths insisted that Governor Uzodinma remains the authentic candidate of the party, having won the May 18, 2026 senatorial primary with the overwhelming support of the majority of party members.

They described the court ruling as an unacceptable interference aimed at undermining the internal democratic processes of the APC and the collective will of its members in Imo West.

The youths warned that any move to impose Okorocha or enforce the controversial judgment against the clear preference of party members would be resisted with every legitimate means available, including mass mobilisation, street protests, and sustained political action across the South-East.

“We, the South-East APC Youths, will not fold our arms and watch the deliberate sabotage of Governor Hope Uzodinma, who has remained a pillar of the party in the zone,” a spokesperson for the youths declared.

“Any attempt to reverse the outcome of a primary that reflected the will of the majority will be met with firm and organised resistance. Mass action is on the table if this injustice is allowed to stand.”

The Imo State chapter of the APC has already taken a clear position. In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, the party declared that Governor Uzodinma remains its candidate for Imo West, having emerged through the party’s primary with the support of the majority of members.

The chapter further disclosed that its legal department is studying the judgment with a view to taking appropriate action, including an appeal.

The Imo State Government has also condemned the ruling in strong terms. Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, described the judgment as “a complete travesty of justice” and confirmed that the Court of Appeal would be approached to reverse it.

South-East APC Youths said that the dispute goes beyond a personal contest between two individuals. They maintained that it touches on the fundamental principle of party supremacy and the right of APC members to determine their candidates through internal processes.

According to them, Governor Uzodinma’s emergence was not the product of imposition but the result of a primary in which he secured the clear support of the majority of delegates and stakeholders.

They further contended that any attempt to use the courts to override the outcome of a party primary risks creating dangerous precedents that could destabilise the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The youths insisted that the South-East has made significant progress under the leadership and influence of Governor Uzodinma and that any action capable of weakening that structure will be resisted.

“Governor Uzodinma has strengthened the APC in Imo and provided leadership that has enhanced the party’s competitiveness in the South-East,” another youth leader said.

“To sabotage him at this critical time is to sabotage the progressive movement in the zone. We will not allow it. South-East APC Youths are ready to defend him.”

The Forum of Media Aides to APC National Working Committee Members (FOMATAN) had earlier thrown its weight behind Governor Uzodinma, describing the challenge to his candidacy as an assault on party supremacy and internal democracy.

The forum affirmed that the governor remains the authentic candidate and called on stakeholders to close ranks around the South-East APC structure.

As tensions rise, South-East APC Youths are urging members and supporters to remain calm but vigilant. They maintain that while the legal process will run its course, the political will of the party in the zone must not be undermined. Mass mobilisation, according to them, remains a legitimate option should attempts persist to impose a candidate against the majority will of party members.

The development has further polarised the APC in Imo West, with Okorocha’s camp celebrating the court judgment as a victory for justice while Uzodinma’s supporters insist that the final word has not been spoken. What is clear is that South-East APC Youths are drawing a firm line: any perceived sabotage of Governor Hope Uzodinma over the senatorial ticket will not go unchallenged.

The youths across the zone say they are prepared to defend the integrity of their internal processes and the leadership of Governor Uzodinma with every legitimate means at their disposal. The coming days, they warn, will determine whether the APC in the South-East remains united under its established structure or descends into avoidable crisis.