On Friday, the Supreme Court affirmed the re-election of Hope Uzodimma as the governor of Imo State, following the November 11, 2023, gubernatorial election.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Idris, dismissed the appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Samuel Anyanwu, citing a lack of merit. Justice Idris resolved all issues raised in the appeal against the appellants.
Similarly, the court dismissed the appeal by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Athan Achonu, also for lack of merit. The appellants had challenged the election results, but the court found that they failed to prove their case adequately.
The Supreme Court’s ruling upholds the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had previously confirmed the decision of the Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal had dismissed the petitions challenging Uzodimma’s victory.
Earlier, on July 16, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP and Anyanwu, which sought to overturn the tribunal’s ruling in favor of Uzodimma. The three-member panel, led by Justice Bitrus Sanga, found that the appeal lacked merit.
The appellate court also dismissed similar appeals by the Labour Party and its candidate, as well as the Allied Peoples Movement, all of which had argued that the election was invalid due to alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act. The appellants also questioned Uzodimma’s qualification, accusing him of submitting a forged West African Examination Certificate (WAEC). However, both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court found these allegations unproven.
The Supreme Court’s ruling brings a final closure to the legal challenges against Uzodimma’s re-election, confirming him as the legitimate governor of Imo State.
