Nigerian politician Hope Odidika Uzodimma was the elected governor of Imo State’s since 2020. The election of the current governor, Emeka Ihedioha, was declared void on January 14, 2020, by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who also proclaimed Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress the victor of the 2019 governorship vote in Imo State.
The Supreme Court’s decision to remove former House of Representatives deputy speaker Emeka Ihedioha from office as governor of Imo state is no longer news, but most Nigerians are still surprised by how All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and Imo state’s incoming governor, Hope Nzodinma, prevailed in the end after losing at both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was uneasy before the Supreme Court’s ruling on Tuesday, January 14, because Ejike Mbaka, a fiery Catholic priest from the Enugu Diocese, had predicted on New Year’s Eve that Nzodinma would take over as governor and that Ihedioha would be fired.
10 Most Important Things to Know About the new Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma
1. Senator Hope Uzodinma picked the APC ticket seven months after he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
2. Uzodinma came fourth behind Emeka Ihedioha (PDP), Nwosu (Action Alliance) and Ifeanyi Ararume (All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
3. While Ihedioha polled 273,404 votes, Nwosu, Ararume and Uzodinma secured 190,364; 114,676; and 96,458 votes respectively. Uzodinma challenged the victory of Ihedioha up to the apex court and won.
4. Uzodinma became prominent in Imo politics in the early 2000s as a PDP member. In 2003, he ran for governor of the state on the ticket of Alliance for Democracy (AD) but he did not win.
5. He returned to the PDP and in 2006 and sought the ticket of the party to contest the governorship election again but lost at the primary poll to Ararume.
6. Uzodinma who was later appointed a PDP board of trustees (BoT) member, was first elected into the Senate in 2011. He was reelected in 2015.
7. Before the 2000s, Uzodinma was the youth leader of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Imo in the second republic. He was also a prominent member of the now-defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).
8. He also has been involved in the oil and gas sector through SMIEC Chemical Engineering & Construction Company Limited, his company, which he used to execute many projects for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
9. He obtained his secondary school certificate from Mgbidi Secondary School, Orlu west in 1982.
10. Uzodinma has a bachelor’s degree in international studies and a diploma in transport studies. He is also a recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from the Imo state university.
As The Senator of Imo State
With 21,47 votes to Osita Izunaso’s 891, Hope Uzodinma emerged victorious in the PDP primaries for the Imo West Senatorial contest on January 9, 2011.
But his triumph was rendered invalid when the Federal High Court recognized Osita Izunaso as the party’s official candidate for the senatorial seat. Hope Uzodinma was not yet cleared by the PDP’s electoral panel headed by Orji Nwafor-Orizu, hence the court issued this ruling.
Hope Uzodinma was fortunate against all the odds; on March 17, 2011, the Court of Appeal granted him a stay of execution. He was able to campaign during the time the case was still pending because the execution was stayed.
The final decision from the high court’s verdict that Hope Uzodinma lacked the qualifications to be a senatorial candidate was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Since Mr. Uzodinma was unprepared to accept his removal from office, he appealed to the highest court in the land.
On May 5, 2011, the Supreme Court sided with him and reversed the rulings of the High and Appeal Courts. In the aftermath of this ruling, Mr. Uzodinma was proclaimed the legitimate candidate and election victor with 85,042 votes, 20,814 more than the second-place finisher with 64,228 votes, all affiliated with the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN).
As The Governor Of Imo State
A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hope Uzodinma stood for governor of Imo State in the 2019 March election. The People’s Democratic Party’s Emeka Ihedioha defeated him in the election.
Refusing to accept loss, Mr. Uzodinma sought to the Supreme Court to investigate the matter due to anomalies.
The Supreme Court finally recognized his victory in the 2019 March Imo State gubernatorial election after extensive inquiry. In light of this proclamation, on January 14, 2020, at the Imo State Government House, Hope Uzodinma and Professor Placid Njoku, his deputy, were sworn in by Justice Pascal Nnadi, the chief justice of the state.