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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has affirmed Hope Uzodimma as the duly elected governor of the state.
In a unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, the three-man panel held that Uzodimma’s election as the state governor complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The tribunal subsequently dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party and its governorship candidate, Athan Achonu.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the November 11, 2023 election, having secured 540,308 votes to emerge as the winner.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had 71,503 votes while Achonu came third with 64,081 votes.
Dissatisfied with the result, Achonu approached the court to seek the cancellation of the election, alleging electoral malpractices in some parts of the state.