IMO STATE: SUPREME COURT SACKS GOVERNOR IHEDIOHA, DECLARES UZODINMA WINNER

The Court added that with the results from the 388 polling units added, Uzodinma polled a majority of the lawful votes and ought to have been declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

Penpushing also reports that, consequently, the Supreme Court   voided and set aside the declaration of  lhedioha as the winner of the 2019 Governorship poll  and ordered that the certificate of return wrongly or unlawfully issued to  lhedioha be immediately withdrawn by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a fresh one issued to  Uzodinma as the authentic Governor.

The panel ruled, “Vote due to the appellant Senator Hope Uzodinma and the APC from 388 Polling Units were wrongly excluded from scores ascribed to the appellant(to them). It is thereby ordered that the appellant votes from 388 Polling Units unlawfully excluded from the appellant vote declared shall be added and that the first respondent, Emeka Ihedioha, was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast at the said election.”

“His return as the elected governor of Imo State is hereby declared null and void and accordingly set aside. It is hereby declared that the first appellant (Mr Uzodinma) holds the majority of lawful votes cast at the Governorship election held in Imo State on March 9, 2019.”

Penpushing reports that, the Court emphasized that  Uzodinma has satisfied the mandatory constitutional requirements to be declared Governor, adding that,“It is hereby declared that first appellant, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is the winner of the Governorship of Imo State held on March 9, 2019.

‘The certificate issued to the first defendant (Mr Ihedioha) is hereby withdrawn. It is hereby ordered that the certificate of return shall be issued to the first appellant, Senator Hope Uzodinma, forthwith and he should be sworn in as the Governor of Imo State,” she ruled.