Imo: Group tells Supreme Court to Restore Ihedioha as Governor

Ikenna Orioha

A Socio -Political Pressure Group known as Concerned Imo Citizens Forum, has totally condemned the Supreme Court Judgment which declared Senator Hope Uzodimma as Governor of Imo State.

It told the Supreme Court to revisit and vacate the judgment and return the democratically elected Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, as Governor of Imo State.

The Forum made the urge while addressing newsmen in Owerri, on Monday, through its State Coordinator, Engr. Onwubiko Kingsley.

The Forum maintained that Ihedioha scored the highest number of votes and having been declared winner by INEC, should be returned by the Apex Court to save democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism and the image of the country which it regretted has been battered.

“We believe that by so doing the Supreme Court would have saved the country from further embarrassment and threats of dire consequences.

“Democracy and judiciary in the country must not be sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition of some dirty politicians who have very poor history of good character and conduct. The relevant authorities should do the needful by ensuring that democracy does not get truncated. The reputation, trust and confidence which the citizens had placed on the judiciary must not be allowed to wane and die”.

While reaffirming its firm support to the PDP and Ihedioha led Government of Imo State, the Forum, stressed that “it is unlawful for the total number of votes cast in an election to exceed the number of accredited votes and that illegality rendered the judgment sought to be set aside null and void”.

According to the Group, “Exhibit A1(Form EC8D) shows that the total number of voters accredited for the
Governorship Election held on 9th March 2019 in Imo State was 823,743, while the total valid votes cast was 731,485. Note that the Petitioner did not plead or lead evidence of a different accreditation figure from the 388 dispute polling units”.

The Forum remarked that “with the inclusion of 213,695 votes for Hope Uzodimma and 1,903 to the votes of Emeka Ihedioha as ordered by the Supreme Court, the total number of votes cast at the election then stood at 953,083 (I.e.731,485+213,695+1,903) making the total number of votes cast at the election to be far in excess of the total number of votes accredited for the election, 129,340, a situation which the Electoral Act expressly deplores”.

Rex Okoro who was the Special Assistant to the erstwhile Governor on Youth Affairs, added that the Supreme Court should restore the expectations of Imo people by restoring justice and returning Emeka Ihedioha as the duly elected Governor of Imo State.

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