Supreme Court affirms Gov. Uzodimma’s re-election victory

The panel also held that the appellants failed to prove that the governor submitted a forged certificate.

News Agency of Nigeria • August 23, 2024

Governor Hope Uzodimma

The Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed the re-election of Hope Uzodimma of Imo in the Nov. 11, 2023 governorship election.

A five-member panel of the apex court, in a lead judgement delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the Imo election, Samuel Anyanwu, for lacking in merit.

The judge resolved all the issues raised for determination in the appeal against the appellants.

Mr Idris equally dismissed the appeal by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Athan Achonu, for being unmeritorious.

The judge, who authored and read the lead judgement, resolved the three issues identified for determination against the appellants.

He found that the appellants, as petitioners at the election tribunal, failed to prove their case as required.

He proceeded to affirm the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision of the Imo state governorship election petition tribunal, which dismissed the appellants’ petition.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, had, on July 16, dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP and Mr Anyanwu, challenging the decision of the Imo state governorship election petition tribunal, which affirmed the election of Mr Uzodimma as the authentic governor of the state.

The three-member panel led by Justice Bitrus Sanga held that the appeal lacked merit, having resolved all issues formulated against the appellants in the suit.

In the same vein, the appellate court also dismissed the appeal by the Labour Party and its candidate, Achonu Nneji, and that of the Allied Peoples Movement for also lacking in merit.

The appellants, who were dissatisfied with the election tribunal judgment, had approached the Court of Appeal on grounds that the Nov. 11, 2023 election was invalid because of non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act.

The appellants also challenged Mr Uzodimma’s qualification with an allegation that his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) result was forged.

While delivering that judgement, the court of appeal held that the appellants, in their appeal, failed to prove the allegation of non-compliance as alleged.

The panel also held that the appellants failed to prove that the governor submitted a forged certificate.

(NAN)

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