The Supreme Court has upheld the reelection of Hope Uzodimma as Imo State Governor in the November 11, 2023, gubernatorial election. This decision marks a definitive end for the appeals made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) challenging Uzodimma’s victory.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeals filed by the PDP and its candidate, Samuel Anyanwu, as well as the LP and its candidate, Athan Achonu. The court found that the appeals lacked merit and upheld the judgments of the lower courts.
Justice Idris resolved all issues raised by the appellants against them, finding that they failed to substantiate their claims. The Supreme Court’s decision affirms the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had previously supported the Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s decision to validate Uzodimma’s election.
The Court of Appeal had, on July 16, dismissed the appeals from the PDP and Anyanwu, and also rejected similar appeals from the LP and its candidate, Achonu. The appellate court had determined that the challenges to the election were unmeritorious, particularly the allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and the claim that Uzodimma’s West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) was forged.
The appellants had contended that the election was invalid due to alleged irregularities and forged credentials. However, both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court found that these claims were not proven.