The Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has affirmed the election of Hope Uzodimma as the Governor of Imo State.
In a ruling delivered in Abuja on Friday, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its governorship candidate, Athan Achonu. The three-member panel, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, unanimously declared that Uzodimma’s election complied substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The tribunal stated that the Labour Party failed to substantiate allegations of overvoting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act in its petition.
Previously, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State. Uzodimma secured 540,308 votes, defeating his closest rival, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 71,503 votes. Athan Achonu came third with 64,081 votes, while none of the other 15 candidates received up to 10,000 votes.
Unsatisfied with the election results, Achonu had sought the court’s intervention to annul Uzodimma’s victory, citing alleged electoral malpractices in certain areas of the state. However, the tribunal’s decision upheld Uzodimma’s position as the duly elected governor.
