November 11 Governorship Election The Freest, Fairest Ever In Imo State, Says Hope Uzodimma
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state, on Friday, said last Saturday’s Imo state governorship election was the freest, fairest, and most peaceful election in the history of the state.
Uzodimma stated this to newsmen in Owerri, after receiving his certificate of return issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s National Commissioner, supervising the South East, Hon. Kenneth Ukeagu.
The governor said the Imo governorship election was “widely adjudged a credible poll, whose integrity can not be questioned.”
Defending his mandate, Uzodimma said: “I congratulate Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, the Deputy Governor-elect of Imo State, who has also received her Certificate of Return, making her the second female deputy governor of Imo State since the creation of our state in 1976.
“In my thank you address, which I gave shortly after I was declared the winner of the election, I acknowledged the contribution of all segments of the Imo society who worked hard for my victory. I also dedicated the victory first to God, from whom all powers come. I equally dedicated my victory to Imo people, including those who massively voted for me and those who voted for other candidates.
“Let me once more congratulate the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conducting the freest, fairest, and most peaceful election in the history of Imo State on November 11th, 2023. With the assistance of the security agencies, INEC delivered what has been widely adjudged a credible poll, whose integrity can not be questioned.
“By upholding the sanctity of our electoral process, INEC has deepened our democracy with the assurance that our votes will always count. I therefore commend INEC for a job well done. I equally commend the security agencies and all those who worked tirelessly to ensure that the election was held peacefully throughout the 27 local government areas of the state.
“I am aware that some cynics and naysayers have been stunned by my overwhelming electoral victory, which saw me receiving the majority of the votes cast in all the 27 local government areas of the state. As usual, these critics have been weaving their conspiracy theories without taking into consideration the factors that shaped my victory.
“I am glad to say that I deserve this victory because I strategized and worked very hard for it. This is the only way to guarantee victory in a democratic election, especially in a state like Imo where the people are mostly literate, republican and politically aware. This means they can separate the wheat from the chaff.
“Having said this, it is pertinent to highlight two issues that I believe propelled me to a clear and outright victory. One is my sterling performance as the governor in the last four years, and the second is the Imo Charter of Equity, which prescribes the orderly transfer of gubernatorial power from one senatorial zone to the other.
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“When people speak of incumbency factor in aiding the re-election of a sitting governor, they misconstrue it to be the use of power and state resources to confer an unfair advantage to the candidate. For me, that is not the case. Rather, it means leveraging one’s performance as a marketing tool in an election. For example, Imo people will readily attest to the fact that there is no community, no ward, and no local government that has not been impacted positively by my government.
“In the area of infrastructure, especially road infrastructure, I have made a difference. In all the sectors of the economy, our people have felt the positive impact of my administration. As various groups, including trade unions, were endorsing me for re-election some, people dismissed it as a political gimmick. But those who endorsed me have walked the talk with their followers.
“The result of their efforts is this resounding victory. The beneficiaries of our 3R mantra of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery showed me appreciation through their votes. The same is true with the thousands of youths whom I have trained and empowered. My opponents failed to provide an alternative blueprint for better achievements than mine, so there is no way I couldn’t have won.
“The second factor, as I mentioned, is the Imo Charter of Equity, which the Elders Council, traditional and religious leaders promoted to enthrone peace and order in the transfer of power in the state. Since I am from Orlu, these leaders endorsed me for a second and final tenure. They appealed to Imo people that only those from the Orlu zone should contest the last election.
“Because the Charter does not abridge the constitutional right of anybody, our brothers from Owerri and Okigwe still contested. But they were rejected because they swam against the tide that the Charter represents. In other words, apart from my superlative performance, the Charter played a key role in my reelection.”
“People voted to support the Charter so that going forward, our electoral process in the state will be rancour-free and less expensive. The first takeaway from the Charter of Equity, going forward, is that under my watch, Owerri Zone will produce the next governor of Imo State in 2027.
“Now that the election is over, I renew my call to my brothers, who contested with me to join hands with my administration to continue to offer quality services to the people of Imo State. My appeal is that we should put the interest of the state and her people above our consideration. There is still time for everyone to buy into the Charter of Equity,” he said.