Imo's Uzodimma Hints at 2027 Election Winner as Tinubu, Atiku, Peter Obi, Others Set to Clash
- Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma declared that residents of the state have made up their minds concerning the 2027 elections
- Governor Uzodimma defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's decision to remove the fuel subsidy in May 2023
- In a video, Senator Uzodimma, governor of Imo since 2020, spoke on the state's internally generated revenue (IGR)
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Owerri, Imo state - Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, has declared that the people of Imo have collectively made their position clear ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying they want President Bola Tinubu to return for a second term.
As reported by The Cable, Uzodimma spoke on Friday, July 17, in Owerri during a reception held for members of a presidential media tour. The governor argued that Tinubu's policies and programmes have directly improved conditions in the state and beyond.
Source: Facebook
The Sun quoted Uzodimma as saying:
"Our people have already decided that they want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back as the president, because without him and his policies and programmes, this environment we are enjoying today would have been very impossible to achieve.”
Uzodimma revisits Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal
The governor offered personal testimony to explain his support for the federal government's removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, describing a dramatic shift in the state's finances from the time he took office.
He recalled that when he was inaugurated on January 15, 2020, the state accountant-general returned from a Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting with funds that barely covered salaries, leaving only N100 million in the treasury.
His words:
"Immediately May 29th, 2023, came, after FAAC, I saw over N10.7 billion. I said what? So, when people were trying to oppose removal of subsidy, I had to put my belt and my jeans, I came out and said subsidy must be removed.”
He added that he is confident many All Progressives Congress (APC) governors across the country are deploying increased federal allocations towards concrete projects in their states.
Uzodimma speaks on ‘IGR growth’
Furthermore, the APC chieftain pointed to internal revenue figures and debt management as evidence of progress under his administration. He said that monthly internally generated revenue has risen from below N400 million in 2020 to nearly N6 billion, while the state's debt burden has fallen from N287 billion to under N90 billion.
On electricity, the governor said Imo state now independently generates, transmits and distributes power within the state capital, including the government house, describing it as "homemade electricity."
He said:
"We will not disappoint. By the end of this year, we will continue to respond to the local government. Imo is ready for business.”
Watch Governor Hope Uzodimma's remarks on the Tinubu administration in the X video below:
Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, set to clash
Legit.ng reports that Nigeria's general elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, when voters will elect the president and vice president, as well as members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Governorship and State House of Assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027. Incumbent President Tinubu, a longtime APC chieftain, is seeking a second term.
Alongside Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi are widely regarded as the leading contenders in the presidential race. While Atiku is a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obi is a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Read more on Hope Uzodimma
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- “Nobody can accuse me of corruption,” Uzodimma declares, Nigerians react
Tinubu gives Uzodimma appointment
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu appointed Uzodimma as the Renewed Hope Ambassador.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, one of the presidential spokespersons, Uzodimma, in his role, will double as the director-general (DG) for the party's outreach, engagement and mobilisation.
President Tinubu said he expects Governor Uzodimma and his colleagues to promote and disseminate the APC's "achievements and milestones" since 2023, thereby "reinforcing the message of Renewed Hope nationwide."
Source: Legit.ng
