In a significant announcement, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Hope Uzodimma, the incumbent Imo State Governor, as the winner of the state’s governorship election held on Saturday.
The state Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, who also serves as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, revealed the election results on Sunday morning at INEC’s state collation centre in Owerri, the state capital.
Governor Uzodimma, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged victorious with a commanding 540,308 votes. Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trailed as a distant second with a total of 71,503 votes. Athan Achonu of the Labour Party secured the third position with 64,081 votes, while Anthony Ejiogu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Jack Ogunewe of the Action Alliance came fourth and fifth with 6,392 and 5,756 votes, respectively.
Prof. Abayomi Fasina officially declared Uzodimma as the winner, stating, “The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Good Hope Uzodimma, having scored the highest number of votes and satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the election and returned elected.”
The election results indicated a clean sweep for Uzodimma, as he secured victories in all 27 Local Government Areas of the state.
With this outcome, Governor Uzodimma is set to be sworn in for a second term in office on January 14, 2024.
However, the announcement was not without controversy. The State Agent of the Labour Party, Callistus Ihejiagwa, was reportedly beaten and ejected from the state Collation centre after protesting the results, claiming they were manipulated in favor of the APC candidate. The PDP’s State Agent, Kissinger Ikeokwu, also left the collation centre, while both parties had previously called for the outright cancellation of the poll, alleging election rigging and malpractices.
Despite the controversies, the declaration of Uzodimma as the winner stands, marking a crucial development in the political landscape of Imo State.
