Former Imo State governor and senator [Rochas Okorocha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochas_Okorocha) denied on October 10, 2026 that any magistrate court had issued a bench warrant to arrest him for alleged forgery, and challenged anyone with such a warrant to make the document public within 48 hours.
**What did Okorocha say about the alleged warrant?**
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha asserted that the claim of a bench warrant was entirely false and demanded that the source produce the court order, naming the senior magistrate, if it truly existed.
**Why does he doubt the timeline presented in the report?**
He highlighted that the story claimed the warrant was issued on October 9, 2026, based on a petition dated October 8, 2026. Okorocha questioned how investigative agencies could complete their inquiries and the court could issue a warrant within a single day, calling the chronology implausible.
**What is the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC)?**
The former governor urged Nigerians to disregard the circulating story, emphasizing that the [All Progressives Congress](https://www.apc.ng) currently needs peace rather than sensationalist allegations.
He added, “No senior magistrate or high court has ordered or issued any bench warrant against me. We now openly deny this and place the burden on those spreading the story to reveal the alleged court order within 48 hours.”
**Are there inconsistencies in the alleged court documents?**
Okorocha noted that the report mistakenly cited September 9, 2026 as the warrant date, while the petitions it referenced were dated October 8, 2026, with case number CR/M/084/2026. This suggests the supposed court order predates the petitions, an impossibility if the process were legitimate.
**What role did the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) play, according to Okorocha?**
He clarified that the LMO Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Ibejiako of the [INEC](https://www.inecnigeria.org), never filed a petition to investigate or arrest him. Instead, the commissioner’s petition asked the police and DSS to probe a document that falsely portrayed Okorocha as the winner of the APC primary for the LMO West Senatorial District, dated October 8, 2026. Okorocha argued that it would be impossible for the DSS and police to complete investigations and issue a warrant by the next day, October 9, 2026.
In summary, Okorocha dismissed the bench‑warrant story as a fabricated narrative, called for evidence to be produced within two days, and appealed for public calm amid the controversy.