The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state.
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Abayomi Fashina, who was the state Returning Officer declared Uzodinma re-elected on Sunday morning at about 10 am after over eight hours of collation of local government results.
“That you Hope Uzodinma of APC having satisfied the law is hereby returned elected,” Fashina declared.
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The moment Hope Uzodinma is declared winner of the Imo state governorship elections by the Returning Officer, Prof Abayomi Fashina.#ImoDecides2023 pic.twitter.com/8zcHJjOPRm
— Channels Television (@channelstv) November 12, 2023
Uzodinma was first declared as Imo State governor by the Supreme Court in January 2020 after the nullification of the election of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a situation that made him attract more political enemies in the state now plagued with the security phenomenon of “unknown gunmen”, abductions and endless Monday’s sit-at-home by pro-secessionist sects.
The 64-year-old sought re-election in Saturday’s poll and cleared all the 27 local government areas in the state.
He trounced PDP’s Samuel Anyanwu, Labour Party (LP)’s Nneji Achonu, Jack Ogunewe of the Action Alliance (AA), 14 other opponents.
The APC candidate polled 540, 308 votes to defeat his closest rivals, PDP’s Anyanwu, who scored 71,503 votes and LP’s Achonu who got 64,081.
Ascendancy to power
Mr Uzodinma was first declared governor of Imo State in January 2020 by the Supreme Court which nullified the declaration of Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP as the winner of the 9 March 2019 governorship election in the state.
The APC candidate had emerged fourth in the election, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But the Supreme Court held that results from 388 polling units were not added for Mr Uzodinma during the exercise.
The court said after adding the results from the affected units, Mr Uzodinma polled a majority of the lawful votes.
Mr Uzodinma, therfore, earned the moniker ‘Supreme Court’ governor, which he frowned at.
Mr Ihedioha had served as governor of the state for seven months and two weeks before he was sacked by the court. He could not, however, secure the PDP ticket to challenge Mr Uzodinma again as he stepped down just before the primary election which was won by Mr Anyanwu.
