Jubilation As Tribunal Delivers Judgement on Imo Governorship Election

• The leadership of the Labour Party in Imo state has recorded a major loss at the election petition tribunal
• The tribunal, on Friday, upheld the election of the APC's candidate Hope Uzodimma and dismissed the LP's petition challenging his victory
• The tribunal held that the case filed by Athan Achonu, LP governorship candidate, lacked substance

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

On Friday, May 24, the Imo state governorship election petitions tribunal affirmed the election victory of Hope Uzodimma, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections.

As reported by The Nation, the tribunal's verdict upheld Uzodimma's election as Imo state governor.

How the court ruled in favour of Uzodimma

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Delivering its judgment, the tribunal, which gave its ruling in Abuja, also dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its governorship candidate, Athan Achonu, Vanguard reported.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, the three-man panel of the tribunal held that Uzodimma’s election as Imo state governor complied substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The tribunal further held that the Labour Party failed to prove the allegation of overvoting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act in its petition.

How Uzodimma defeated Achonu, Anyanwu

Recall that on Sunday, November 12, in Owerri, Imo state capital, the vice-chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Professor Abayomi Fashina, the state's returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced Uzodimma as the winner of the 2023 governorship election in Imo state.

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Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 71,503 votes, and Achonu came third with 64,081 votes.

Achonu had approached the tribunal, seeking to nullify Uzodimma’s election, citing electoral malpractices in some parts of the state.

Imo election 2023: Uzodimma speaks on election victory

Earlier, Governor Hope Uzodimma shared an update regarding his victory in the Saturday, November 11, 2023 governorship election.

Recall that Uzodimma was declared the winner of the 2023 governorship election in Imo state.

Speaking on the development, the Imo state government on Monday, November 13, said Uzodimma won because there was no crisis in the APC before and during the poll.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng