Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo has expressed optimism that the Supreme Court would not reverse its judgment that sacked his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha, and declared him winner of the March 19, 2019 governorship election.

The apex court had, on Jan. 14, removed Ihedioha of the PDP on the ground that he did not score the lawful majority votes in the Imo governorship race.

The court said it arrived at that decision after adding votes scored by Uzodinma in 388 polling units, which showed that he won the race.

It subsequently declared him winner of the election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give him a certificate of return as elected Imo governor.

Ihedioha has, however, vowed to return to the Supreme Court with a view to seeking a review of the judgment that removed him from office.

Uzodinma, who spoke with State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja, said that the matter was already “a concluded case”.

“I am not disturbed by the PDP’s move to seek a review of the judgment. I am not concerned because I believe they are going back to the Supreme Court based on falsehood because the number of accredited votes outside the excluded votes is what they are talking about.

“But, if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about the number of accredited votes including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited votes inclusive of the excluded voters, the figures are correct.

“We went to court with an issue of exclusion; we didn’t go to court complaining about election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case.

“My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo vs Onoh and Omoboriowo vs Ajasin – It is the position of the Supreme Court that where an election has been announced at a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the results into the Form EC 8B.

“So, let INEC tell us what happened; I’m a lawmaker and I participated in the amendment of the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed.

“As far as I’m concerned, the 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has expired. I’m not a lawyer but with my little knowledge of law making, I understand what is in the Electoral Act.”

The governor, who was accompanied by the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiohmole, during the visit, pledged to transform the living conditions of the inhabitants of the state.

He particularly promised a better life for Imo workers, saying that he had already paid all outstanding salaries of civil servants in the state.

“For 12 years, no governor visited the civil service secretariat, I was there two days ago and water has not been available to the secretariat for the past nine years.

“Two days after my visit, water is running there now. They have been re-connected to electricity and the generators are being worked on now.

“So, my mandate is about the people and my government will just be about the people and by the grace of God, I will not disappoint their expectations.

“I am sure they will see good governance from a man with experience, working in consultations with political stakeholders in the state. I think we can do it differently and the narrative will be acceptable to the people,’’ he said.

Oshiomhole, who also spoke to the correspondents, explained that they were in the presidential villa to introduce Hope Uzodinma as the governor of Imo to President Buhari.

He said: “The governor of Imo, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, is not a stranger to the president. He has been part of the APC family; he has played very decisive roles when it mattered in the affairs of the party.

“So, the purpose of today’s meeting is just to introduce him as the new executive governor of Imo.

“President Buhari is very excited that we have established our foothold in the heart of the south east. And it coincides with the president’s vision of uniting the country.

“Now, we can truly say that we not only control the centre, we have governors in each of the six groups-political zones and I believe that is good for our party and for the government.’’


https://thenationonlineng.net/uzodinma-optimistic-supreme-court-will-not-overturn-itself/

The people who obtained that criminal judgement on your behalf did so to mortgage the future of Imo state. You will now spend the next 8 years paying them heavily from the commonwealth of Imo people while you gallivant around as the puppet governor.

Shame on you, Hope.

I join you Hope not because I know you or I'm partisan or I care,
But SC at this point is sadly acting a script, has been compromised and is the apex court.
It will only reverse itself in another case, probably one that would favor them
By them i mean APC

PS: I neither voted PDP or APC candidate at the last election for predident

God knows I have no pity on any Nigerian Politician. Guys these guys have failed us Big time

Ghen Ghen

Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma has said he is unperturbed by the return of ousted governor, Emeka Ihedioha to Supreme Court to seek a review of the judgment that removed him from office.

He described such moves as based on falsehood, adding that as far as he was concern, the case had been done and dusted.

Recall that the court had on January 14, 2020 sacked Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on the grounds that he did not score the lawful majority votes in the March 9, 2019 governorship election.

The apex court, after adding the cancelled results of the 388 polling units to the votes scored by Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ordered that he be immediately sworn in as the duly elected governor.

But speaking to State House correspondents after he was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari, by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, he said the 60 days left for the Supreme Court to look into the matter had already expired, hence Ihedioha was wasting his time.

Asked if he was not worried that based on Supreme Court’s computation of votes outnumbered those who voted and that it might likely reverse itself, Uzodinma said: “Well, I am not concerned, the reasons being that going back to the Supreme Court is based on falsehood. Because, the number of accredited votes outside the excluded votes is what we are talking about. But if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about number of accredited voters including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited voters inclusive of the accredited voters, the figures are correct.

“We went to court with the issue of exclusion, we didn’t go to court with the business of election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case. My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo and Onoh, and Omoboriwo and Ajasin. The position of the Supreme Court is that where an election has been announced in a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the result into the form EC8B.

“We went there with two documents, the form EC8A that was excluded and Form EC8B where result was supposed to have been entered and they saw clearly that it was left blank. So, let INEC tell us what happened. Because, going back to Supreme Court and of course like you know I am a law maker, I participated in the debate of the amendment of the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed, as far as I am concerned the 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has already expired. So, going back to the Supreme Court I don’t know what that…I am not a lawyer anyway but with my little knowledge of lawmaking, I understand what is in the Electoral Act. So, the Supreme Court is not a market square that anytime you want you begin to go there.”