Governor Hope Uzodimma, yesterday, secured a second term in a grand style as he swept all the 27 local government areas and polled 540,308 votes to defeat 17 other candidates.
The first runner-up, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 71,503 votes, while Athan Achonu of the Labour Party, polled 64,081 votes. Anthony Ejiogu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Jack Ogunewe of the Action Alliance (AA), followed with 6,392 and 5,756 votes, respectively.
While the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the supporters of the incumbent governor, savor their unassailable victory, the opposition parties have rejected the outcome of the polls.
Declaring the result, the state Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, said Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes to defeat 17 other candidates.
Fasina, Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said the PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, polled 71,503 votes.
In his reaction, the APC’s state Collation Officer and Attorney-General of the state, Mr Cyprian Akaolisa, commended the INEC and the security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the polls.
“It is clear that INEC did their best to ensure a free and fair election; from the distribution of election materials to the conduct of the election, was peaceful.
“Security agencies did their utmost best to ensure that the process was smooth. We had a credible, free and fair election. This victory is for the Imo people. It is a victory for the continuation of the development the governor is providing for the people,” Akaolisa said.
Opposition kicks
The LP and the PDP have called for cancelation of the election.
The deputy governorship candidate of the LP, Tony Nwulu, at a press conference, claimed security agents provided security for staff of INEC and members of the APC to subvert the will of the people of the state.
He alleged that the APC members engaged in vote buying, intimidation of voters, snatching of electoral materials, and diversion of electoral materials to homes of individuals and local government council headquarters for manipulations.
He claimed the LP won in the actual votes cast in the election, warning that democracy was under threat in the state. “There was no election in Imo State. What happened was the diversion of the electoral materials to the homes of people and the local government council headquarters. In all this, the police, the army, and the Department of State Service (DSS) provided security to the actors.
“They came with huge sums of money to the polling units for votes buying, but the Imo people rejected them. They now resorted to snatching of electoral materials, diversion of the electoral materials to homes of individuals and to the local council headquarters, where they are currently rewriting the results.
“In all these things, the police, army, DSS provided security to the APC members and staff of the INEC in these disgraceful acts. We have all the records. We are putting Nigerians on notice that there was no election in Imo State on Saturday.
“The position of our party and my principal, Senator Athan Achonu is that this sham called election should be cancelled, outrightly.”
Addressing journalists at a separate press conference, Anyanwu also called for the cancellation of the election.
He said INEC and the security agents failed in their constitutional responsibility to deliver credible election to the people of the state, lamenting that instead, the security agents protected the INEC staff as the APC members rewrote results.
Anyanwu insisted that he, alongside his party, the PDP, would not accept anything other than a total cancelation of the poll.
He was declared winner with fictitious result – LP chair
The state chairman of the LP, Calistus Ihejiagwa, equally alleged that Governor Uzodimma was declared winner by a compromised INEC with fictitious results.
Ihejiagwa, who spoke with journalists in Owerri, also alleged that both the security agencies and the electoral commission acted out the script of the governor.
He claimed that he was brutalised by thugs brought into the collation centre at the state INEC headquarter by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Cyprain Akaolise, for insisting that the petition of the party over gross irregularities and violation of the electoral guidelines be heard before collation could commence.
Meanwhile, the LP governorship candidate, Senator, Achonu, has served notice that he would seek redress in court.
Addressing newsmen in his Umulomo country home in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state, he alleged that the election was “marred by irregularities, including vote buying and physical assaults of the LP agents, thus deserving an outright cancellation.”
He further alleged that voting in many locations was done without the BVAS accreditation, contrary to the assurances by INEC before the election.
Achonu also alleged compromise on the part of the security personnel, adding that recorded evidences abound, such as that of a police officer who was beaten by voters for attempting to snatch a ballot box.
He commended the LP supporters for their steadfastness in the face of provocation, and assured them that they would get justice through the courts. “Our democracy was raped in the full glare of security personnel, whose salaries we pay from our commonwealth,“ Achonu said.
ADC rejects Imo election results
Also rejecting the outcome, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in a statement by its National Vice Chairman, Chilos Godsent, alleged the election was characterised by electoral violence, banditry, snatching of electoral materials, intimidations and harassment of political opponents by the APC.
“The ADC sympathises with, and condoles with all the victims of the APC thuggery and rascality in Imo State on Saturday, November 11, 2023. The ADC demands in strong terms the immediate investigation and prosecution of all the governor’s aides and security operatives mentioned in many of the viral videos circulating on social media, who were accused of leading the thuggery squads that extensively militarised the Imo State Governorship Election of Saturday, November 11, 2023, including police operative arrested and paraded by community youths in one of the polling units in Ikeduru Local Government Area.
“We also noted that in many polling units, INEC officials were caught with written result sheets even when the accreditations and voting have not commenced,” Godsent stated.
Govs, Akpabio hail victory
In spite of the position of the opposition, congratulatory messages have been pouring in for Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a congratulatory message issued by his media aide, said Governor Uzodimma’s success in the election was a validation of the people’s acceptance of his administration, having impacted positively on the lives of the citizens during his first term in office.
He said said Governor Uzodimma’s victory was a clear manifestation that the APC remains the party of choice for Nigerians, stressing that the party would continue to work in the best interest of Nigerians in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“The APC candidate’s victory across the 27 local government areas in Imo State, with over 400,000 votes margin against his main opponent, is a confirmation of the trust and belief of the people in the APC-led administration in Imo State, having benefitted immensely from the various people-oriented programmes of his administration.
“The real winners at the end of the day are citizens of Imo State because they have re-elected a “talk and do” governor. The victory is deserving. It is an assurance to us that the APC government at the state and national levels is doing something right. We know there are areas of improvement and we are determined to ensure that we give Nigerians the best they deserve.”
On his part, Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, described the victory as heartwarming. He said the large margin was an indication of the trust and love the people of Imo State have in the policies and programmes of Uzodimma and the APC.
He assured the governor of his unalloyed support and a robust working relationship for the progress of their respective states and Nigeria in general.
While praying that God almighty should continue to grant Governor Uzodimma good health and a long political life as he steers the affairs of Imo State, Governor Alia also charged him to use the victory as a platform to continue to offer purposeful leadership to the good people of Imo state and beyond.
Also reacting, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio commended Uzodimma for his resilience and commitment to genuine democratic practices, saying that good governance had triumphed over propaganda.
“I congratulate and rejoice with you and the people of Imo on your well-deserved re-election as the Executive Governor of Imo. Your victory is a testimony of your excellent performance in office in the last four years. This victory is an affirmation by Ndi Imo of your sterling leadership qualities and confirmation of your outstanding performance and delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people.
“It is also an indication that our great party, the APC, is firmly established in the Southeast and accepted by the good people of the region. This explains why despite threats, attempted strikes, and manipulated blackmail from the enemies of your people, God took control.
The Deputy National Chairman, South, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Emma Eneukwu, in a congratulatory message in Enugu, expressed admiration for Uzodimma’s steadfast commitment, while acknowledging the confidence placed in his leadership by the discerning electorate in Imo.
He lauded the pivotal role played by influential leaders within the APC, particularly those with significant influence nationwide, and notably in Southern Nigeria, in ensuring the unequivocal success of the party in the crucial election.
The deputy national chairman, however, urged those who did not emerge victorious to gracefully align with Uzodimma’s transformative agenda.
According to him, the call is for collective efforts towards a harmonious symphony, resonating across the political spectrum to ensure the advancement of Imo and for all to contribute to the prosperity of the nation.
He said that it was only collective positive efforts that would move Imo forward as Uzodimma would engender disruptive innovation and transformation in the state.