How Uzodimma won Imo governorship election in 2nd term comeback

How Uzodimma won Imo governorship election in 2nd term comeback

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Governor Hope Uzodimma as the winner of the Saturday election conducted in Imo State.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Uzodimma polled a total of 540,308 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Samuel Anyanwu, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the election.

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Anyanwu polled a total of 71,503 votes while Athan Achonu of the Labour Party polled a total of 64,081 votes.

TNG reports Uzodimma won all 27 local government areas of Imo State and was declared winner by INEC returning officer, Abayomi Fasina, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti

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“That you Hope Uzodimma of APC having satisfied the law is hereby returned elected,” Fashina declared.

Declaring the result of the Saturday’s off-cycle election, the State Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, said that Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes to defeat 17 other candidates.

Fasina, who is the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said that the PDP Governorship Candidate, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, polled 71,503 votes.

He also said that Sen. Athan Achonu of the Labour Party, came third with 64,081 votes, while Mr Anthony Ejiogu of APGA scored 6,392 votes to occupy the fourth position.

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In a reaction, the APC State Collation Officer and Attorney-General of the State, Mr Cyprian Akaolisa, commended INEC and security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the poll.

“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, it was peaceful.

“Security agencies did their utmost best to ensure that the process was smooth and we had a credible, free and fair election.

“This victory is victory for Imo people.

“It is a victory for the continuation of the development the governor is providing for the people,” Akaolisa said in an interview.

However, the State Collation Officer for the Young Progressives Party, Mr Kingsley Nwahiri, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the poll.

“The result of the governorship election that was declared today (Sunday) is a result of the  vote buying,” he said.

Nwahiri said that the decision on the next line of action would be taken by the national leadership of the party.

Earlier, Anyanwu had called for the cancellation of the election over alleged ballot box-snatching and violence.

He further claimed that security agencies assisted officials of INEC to ensure victory for the APC governor.

Similarly, Achonu had alleged that there were several infractions during the conduct of the election.

The Labour Party governorship candidate described the election as “democracy under attack”.

However, INEC’s Head of Voter Education, Mrs Emmanuella Opara, dismissed the allegation as unfounded.

Opara said the commission had yet to receive any official reports on vote buying, ballot-box snatching or any other malpractice.

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