The Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has confirmed Hope Uzodimma’s position as the Governor of Imo State.
On Friday, the tribunal delivered its verdict in Abuja, rejecting the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Athan Achonu.
In a unanimous decision, Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, representing the three-member panel, declared that Uzodimma’s election adhered substantially to the Electoral Act’s requirements.
The tribunal also concluded that the Labour Party failed to substantiate its claims of overvoting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
It is worth noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously announced Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.
Uzodimma secured 540,308 votes, surpassing his nearest competitor, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 71,503 votes. Achonu came in third with 64,081 votes, while none of the other 15 candidates received more than 10,000 votes.
Unhappy with the outcome, Achonu sought the court’s intervention to overturn the governor’s victory, citing alleged electoral misconduct in certain areas of the state.