Senator Hope Uzodinma has received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Governor of Imo State.
Uzodinma received the certificate on Wednesday after the Supreme Court nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of the state on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court had in a unanimous judgment on Tuesday sacked Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of the State and declared Hope Uzodinma winner.
It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return from former Governor, Emeka Ihedioha and issue Uzodinma certificate of return as governor of the state.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun said the votes due to Uzodinma and APC from 318 polling units were wrongly excluded and should be added.
Meanwhile, the Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-political group, has urged residents of Imo State to accept the Supreme Court judgment, which declared Sen. Hope Uzodinma as the governor of the state in good faith.
The President of NUF, Mr. Augustine Chukwudum, told newsmen on Wednesday that the judgment was a divine verdict “that must not be questioned by any human being.
“NUF calls on Imo State people to accept the judgment of the Supreme Court which declared Sen. Hope Uzodinma winner of the 2019 governorship election in good faith.
“Imo state has been in bondage for the past 20 years.
“We hereby call on Imo people to support Uzodinma to deliver democracy dividend which has eluded them for the past 20 years,’’ he said.
The NUF boss, however, said that “it is time for Ndigbo to embrace All Progressives Congress (APC)’’.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has done well for Ndigbo; that is why we must commend and embrace APC as our political party,’’ he said.
Chukwudum congratulated Uzodinma for working very hard to reclaim his mandate, “Imo people must rejoice because a saviour has come.’’
The judgment has since stirred diverse reactions from well-meaning Nigerians.
