A five-member panel of the apex court in Nigeria has upheld the re-election of Hope Uzodimma as the governor of Imo State for a second term. The Supreme Court Ruling, delivered on August 23, 2024, confirmed Uzodimma’s victory in the governorship election held in November 2023.
In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Samuel Anyanwu.
Earlier in March this year, the governorship tribunal sitting in Abuja ruled in favor of Hope Uzodimma and his All Progressives Congress (APC). Samuel Anyanwu would not let it end there; the PDP proceeded to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. A five-member panel was set to handle the case.
Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, who authored the lead judgment, stated that the appeal lacked merit, thereby affirming the validity of Uzodimma’s election.
During the November 2023 gubernatorial election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria declared Hope Uzodimma the winner with a significant margin. Uzodimma secured 540,308 votes, while Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP received 71,503 votes. Labour Party’s candidate, Athan Achonu, finished third with 64,081 votes.
On May 31, 2023, Hope Uzodimma was appointed chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, the coalition of governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He succeeded Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the former governor of Kebbi State. In this role, Uzodimma is supported by Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna State, who serves as the vice chairman.
As part of his re-election campaign, Uzodimma made significant changes to his ticket. On August 13, 2023, he replaced his deputy with Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru, a female candidate, as his running mate for the governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023. This move was aimed at bolstering his campaign with a fresh perspective.
One of his popular controversial campaign pledge was made in September 2023. In that campaign, Uzodimma pledged that his administration would facilitate the relocation of up to 4,000 Imo State indigenes to Europe and Canada by the end of December 2023. This promise was made during a campaign rally as part of his efforts to mobilize voters and strengthen his bid for re-election. It got many sharing varied opinions across towns and cities of Nigeria.
Will this Supreme Court’s decision end of the legal challenge against Uzodimma’s re-election? Will the end to legal challenges ensure a smooth continuation of his administration in Imo State?
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