Saturday's off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states are gradually coming to a close, with the declaration, yesterday, of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), and the APC candidate in Kogi State, Usman Ahmed Ododo, as winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Although the exercises had yet to conclude in Bayelsa State and some parts of Kogi State, results so far declared by the electoral body also showed that the governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, was already leading with comfortable margin.
But the opposition candidates across the three states, where elections were held, rejected the results released and subsequently called for their cancellation, particularly, in Imo and Kogi states, where Uzodimma and Ododo had been returned elected.
The objections came as Yiaga Africa, a civil society organisation (CSO), asked INEC to clarify the status of locations, where voting did not hold in the off-cycle polls, yet results were announced.
At the same time, a pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), condemned the spate of violence, armed political thuggery, and electoral heists that characterised Saturday's elections.
HURIWA, therefore, advised losers that it would amount to a waste and misuse of resources to file cases before the election petitions tribunal because the judiciary could no longer guarantee justice.
Returning Officer for the Imo State governorship election, and Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Professor Abayomi Fasina, announced the results yesterday morning at the state collation centre in Owerri, the state capital.
Fasina declared Uzodimma winner of the election with 540,308 votes. He announced that Senator Samuel Anyanwu of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came a distant second with 71,503 votes, while Senator Athan Achonu of Labour Party (LP) polled 64,081 votes to come third.
Fasina declared, "That the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Good Hope Uzodimma, having scored the highest number of votes and satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the election and returned elected."
In Kogi, from the 18 local government areas results already declared, the APC candidate, Ododo, who was declared winner, polled 446,237 votes, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Murtala Ajaka, trailed behind with 259,052 votes.
The PDP candidate, Dino Melaye, scored a paltry 46,362 votes, while his counterpart in African Democratic Party (ADP) got 21,819 votes.
The returning officer, Professor Johnson Urama of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced the results late last night at the state collation centre in Lokoja.
"Ahmed Ododo, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner and returned elected," Urama declared.
Nonetheless, INEC said collation of the remaining results will continue in Kogi State today, as scheduled.
The local government areas, where election results had been collated and declared included Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Mopamuro, Ofu, Okehi, Okene, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba East, and Yagba West. The results from only one ward in Ogori Magongo Local Government Area was received and announced.
The APC candidate won in 11 local government areas, out of the 18 declared so far, namely, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Bassa, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Mopamuro, Ogori Magongo, Okehi, Okene, and Yagba West. The SDP candidate won in Ankpa, Idah, Dekina, Ofu, Olamaboro and Omala local government areas, while the ADC candidate, Leke Abejide, won in Yagba East Local Government Area.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the results were announced, the agent of SDP, Mr Ohemoyi David, expressed disappointment with the way INEC went ahead to announce the result, in spite of some abnormalities witnessed during the election.
David said, "We have written a petition to INEC on the election, yet it went ahead to announce the result, even when it has pledged to conduct supplementary election in some LGAs on November 18.
"We shall definitely challenge this action in court."
However, the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, expressed gratitude to residents of the state for giving Ododo the opportunity to take over from him on January 27, 2024.
Bello also thanked INEC, security operatives, and the media for ensuring that the election was a success. He assured the public that Ododo would not fail in continuing with the efforts to transform the state.
Ododo thanked the people for counting him worthy to lead them in the next phase of leadership. The governor-elect declared himself as "the people's servant", who was ready to serve them faithfully for the growth and development of Kogi State.
Reacting to his own victory, Uzodimma declared his re-election a vindication that he was the real winner of the same election in 2019, when he wrested the mandate through the courts.
Speaking at Government House Chapel, Owerri, after Mass, the governor expressed how happy and thankful he was to God for making it possible for him to win overwhelmingly in the governorship election.
He recalled how he was denied victory in 2019, as some people conspired to remove his votes from 388 polling units, a situation that made him to embark on a tortuous court process that ended at the Supreme Court. The apex court ruled in his favour and restored his mandate on January 15, 2020.
Uzodimma stated, "My good people of Imo State, I am humbled and honoured by your overwhelming support in yesterday's (Saturday's) election. Your trust in me to continue leading our dear state is both inspiring and deeply appreciated. Together, we have achieved a resounding victory and I am committed to delivering on the promises made during our campaign.
"As we embark on the next level of Shared Prosperity, rest assured that your interests will remain at the forefront of my administration. I extend a hand to my fellow contenders from other parties, urging them to join me in a united effort to build and uplift our one and only dear state. In the spirit of inclusivity, we will operate a government that transcends political differences for the benefit of all.
"I express profound gratitude to every member of my team, our great party and every citizen of Imo for your unwavering support. Our state is progressing because of your collective efforts. I commend the INEC and its officials for ensuring a fair and neutral electoral process. I also appreciate the dedication of the security agencies in maintaining peace during the exercise.
"A special thanks to the leader of our great party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his fatherly guidance throughout the electioneering period. Together, let us continue the journey towards a more prosperous and inclusive lmo state. Thank you, Ndi Imo, for your trust and confidence. Our shared future is bright and I am committed to leading us to greater heights."
But LP's Achonu, who first rejected the results of the election, said there was no election, but a rape of democracy.
Addressing a press conference, the LP flagbearer alleged that the security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, and military raped the nation's democracy.
He said, "It was like a coup by the security agencies. It was not the fault of INEC, they were scared. When you see the security agencies doing the bidding of government in a state where they behead people like chicken, what do you do?
"We are only waiting for INEC chairman to tell us why he didn't stop the collation because you cannot have a collation when what you have on your results sheet is different from what you have on IReV.
"INEC told the whole world that BVAS will work that BVAS will be used for accreditation. 70% of the voting yesterday was done without BVAS accreditation, yet the result was announced.
"These things were taken to the homes of commissioners, sole administrators of LGA and traditional rulers. I call on all ad hoc staff of INEC with evidence of what happened to come forward and expose them.
"In Orsu LGA, they brought foreigners to vote; an ARISE TV reporter was beaten in a commissioner's house. It is a rape on democracy. We are going to court. The state chairman of LP was brutalised.
"There was no election. They promised us to do the ward collation at designated collation centres, but they took it to the LG HQ and very few to INEC designated centres, and when they got to the LG HQ, they only allowed APC commissioners, and LG sole administrators, and the security barred every other person, you can imagine what went on there."
Similarly, the deputy governorship candidate of LP, Tony Nwulu, alleged at a press conference that security agents provided cover for some persons as they subverted the will of the people, declaring that LP won with the actual votes cast in the election.
While noting that "democracy is under threat in this state," Nwulu insisted, "There was no election in Imo State on Saturday. What happened was the diversion of the electoral materials to the homes of people and the LGA council headquarters. In all this, the police, Army and the DSS provided security to the actors.
"They came with huge sums of money to the polling units for votes-buying but the Imo people rejected them. They now resorted to snatching of electoral materials, diversion of the electoral materials to homes of individuals and to the LGA headquarters, where they are currently rewriting the results.
"We have all the records. We are putting Nigerians on notice that there was no election in Imo State on Saturday. The position of our party and my principal, Senator Athan Achonu, who is the governorship candidate of the party is that this sham called election be cancelled."
The PDP governorship candidate, Anyanwu, also heaped the blame on the security agencies that stayed with the INEC staff as the APC members were busy thumb-marking the ballot papers.
Addressing journalists at a press conference, Anyanwu, who also called for cancellation of the election, said INEC and security agents failed in their constitutional responsibility to deliver credible elections to the people of the state. He alleged that the security agents protected INEC staff as the APC members rewrote the results, stressing that he and his party, PDP, would not accept anything less than a total cancellation of the poll.
Diri Leads With Wide Margin, Collations Continues
The PDP candidate in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, was leading with 138, 009 votes, while Chief Timipre Sylva of APC trailed with 74, 255 votes in six out of the eight local government areas of the state declared yesterday.
INEC, yesterday, postponed the collation and announcement of results from the remaining two local governments till noon today.
Returning Officer, Farouk Kuta, who is also Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Minna, said the postponement was as a result of the challenges and difficulties in the collation in some of the units in two of the most difficult areas to reach in the state.
In the results released so far, PDP won in five local government areas, while APC won in one.
The local government areas so far announced were Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Ogbia, Sagbama, Nembe, and Ekeremor, while the results from Brass and Southern Ijaw local government areas were yet to be declared before INEC suspended the collation.
According to the results announced so far, PDP scored 37,777 votes while APC got 14,534 votes in Yenagoa while in Kolokuma/Opokuma PDP got 18,465 votes and APC got 5349 votes.
PDP polled 18,435 votes in Ogbia while APC scored 16,319 votes; PDP secured 35,504 votes in Sagbama with APC having 6608 votes; PDP had 23,172 votes in Ekeremor, APC scored 8445 while in Nembe, APC polled 22,248 votes while PDP got 4,556 votes.
Sylva had suffered a huge set back following the cancellation of over 26,000 votes purportedly recorded in Ward 11,12 and 13 of Mini, Ikensi and Oluasiri in Nembe Local Government Area.
The cancellation followed protest by stakeholders, particularly members of PDP, over the alleged hijack of election materials by suspected APC thugs in Nembe-Bassambiri and refusal to allow voters, including supporters of PDP, to cast their votes.
PDP also alleged that most of the votes purportedly recorded by the APC in the area were cooked and were voodoo votes that should be cancelled. The votes from Mini, Ikensi and Oluasiri communities were cancelled after the INEC officials reviewed the PDP arguments.
Meanwhile, there was a massive protest at the headquarters of the commission by PDP stakeholders, calling for cancellations of results in Nembe and Brass local government areas of the Bayelsa East Senatorial District. While the protest was going on, reports came that a PDP supporter was hacked to death by suspected APC supporters in Brass Local Government Area.
The middle aged man, identified as George Sibo, was reportedly hacked down in the afternoon after he was attacked by a mob.
Some eyewitnesses claimed the deceased, a supporter of the PDP, was attacked at the Governorship Election Collation Centre at the local government area headquarters when results for some wards in Constituency 2 were being submitted.
When contacted by our reporter, the Bayelsa State lawmaker representing Brass Constituency-one, Dr. Daniel Charles, condemned the gruesome murder by people he described as desperate power seekers and urged security agents to immediately arrest and prosecute perpetrators of the dastardly act.
The deceased, popularly called "Kobo-Kobo", was said to be an indigene of Twon-Brass and aide to the Brass Local Government Chairman, Hanson Alabo-Karika.
In a related development, the Bayelsa State chapter of PDP accused Sylva in the alleged hostage-taking of an officials of INEC in Twon-Brass, headquarters of Brass Local Government Area.
The party, in a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Ebiye Ogoli, alleged that the APC candidate stormed the INEC office on the Brass Island yesterday in a bid to manipulate the result of the governorship election in the local government area.
Melaye, Others Seeks Cancellation of Kogi Guber Election
The candidate of PDP in Saturday's governorship election in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, called for the total cancellation of the election following alleged massive rigging aided by INEC.
Melaye made the call at a press conference in Lokoja on Sunday, condemning the conduct of election in Kogi State in totality.
Describing the exercise as shameful and unhealthy, he regretted that INEC had not learnt any lessons to realise, ameliorate and palliate the problem they created in the democratic process during the general election, and still repeated the same in the governorship election.
Melaye stated, "Yesterday, in the five local governments of Central Senatorial district in Kogi State, there was no election in the end. Surprisingly, accreditation was done manually. The BVAS was not used. Prepared sheets manifested even before accreditation and evidence is all over media.
"INEC, as matter of urgency, must cancel the election. Many areas where I won, my agents were told there were no available result sheets to enter the results and we have evidence to back up this claims
"As I speak to you, it is shameful that this is what our democracy has descended to. INEC has manifested ever than before, that they cannot be trusted; they are biased; they are compromised and they cannot be neutral umpire."
The Kogi State chapter of SDP also called for the cancellation of results of the November 11 governorship election in the state.
SDP made this call at the gubernatorial election collation centre, where the party's collation agent, David Edibu, submitted a petition to INEC, calling for cancellation of results in Okene, Okehi, Ogori Magongo, Adavi, Ajaokuta local government areas as well as some parts of Lokoja, alleging corrupt practices, vote-buying and over-voting.
Edibu added that agents of SDP were not allowed to get close to the polling units in the local government areas.
The state returning officer, Professor Johnson Urame, received the petitions on behalf of the commission and assured the party that they would be reviewed.
PDP keyed into the petition of SDP. The PDP collation agent, Abubakar Mahmood, added that the rate of malpractices in the said council areas was alarming.
But APC, while reacting to the calls for cancellation, said PDP could not blame anyone for not bringing agents to the polling units.
The governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the state, Adejoh Okeme, urged Nigerians to save the nation's democracy, even as he called for nullification of results from the central senatorial district.
In a statement by the state publicity secretary, Idakwo Emmanuel, Okeme called on the election management body to uphold justice and nullify the elections in Okene, Okehi, Adavi and Ogori Magongo. He stressed that the results from those areas were characterised by massive malpractices, including filling of result sheets before commencement of the voting process, vote buying, over voting and ballot box snatching in favour of the ruling APC.
He warned that any attempt to admit the cooked-up results from such areas was total sabotage of the will of the people.
Okeme said, "INEC must stand tall to counter the dubious moves of the ruling party and deliver on its promises to the people, which is free, fair and credible election.
"We must do the right thing and stop the intimidation of opposition with the recent made up cliché, 'Go to Court', as the integrity of our judiciary has been greatly reduced by sheer political issues. The will of the people must be allowed to succeed."
Kogi: INEC Holds Fresh Elections in Affected Areas
INEC, yesterday, announced that fresh elections would be held on Saturday, November 18, in some Polling Units in Kogi State, where voting was suspended.
Some staff of the commission were caught with already filled result sheets while election was still ongoing, which led to the suspension of election in the affected polling units.
INEC National Commissioner and Member, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, in a statement, said the resolution of the commission was in line with Section 24(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 59 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines on the Conduct of Elections 2022.
Haruna said, "Further to our statement yesterday, we have received an update from our Kogi State office regarding the suspension of election in some locations in the state, where result sheets were completed before the commencement of voting."
Haruna noted that the most critical incident occurred in nine out of 10 Wards in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area, and stressed that the commission also received reports of similar and other incidents in Adavi -- five Polling Units in Okunchi/Ozuri/Onieka Ward; Ajaokuta -- five Polling Units in Adogo Ward; Okehi -- one Polling Unit in Eika/Ohizenyi Ward; and Okene -- five Polling Units in Obehira Uvete Ward.
The national commissioner noted that results from the affected polling units had been accounted for in Form EC40G for the four local government areas.
He stated, "However, in the case of Ogori/Magongo LGA, only the result of Oshobane Ward II with eight Polling Units and 2,264 registered voters has been collated. Election in the other nine Wards (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) involving 59 Polling Units and 15,136 registered voters remain suspended.
"In line with Section 24(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 59 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines on the Conduct of Elections 2022, fresh election will be held on Saturday 18th November 2023 in the affected Polling Units."
Haruna noted that the decision to hold fresh elections was subject to the Returning Officer's determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle. He explained that this decision was without prejudice to the commission's avowed commitment to follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who might have been complicit in undermining the process and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary.
APC Urges INEC to Protect Integrity of Votes in Kogi
The leadership of APC called on INEC to protect the integrity of the legitimate votes of the Kogi electorate.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, in a statement, said the announced and uploaded results, so far, showed the party's candidate maintained a landslide lead in Kogi West and Central, with a competitive showing in Kogi East.
Morka stated, "With the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo, coasting to spectacular victory in Saturday's Kogi guber election, we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to protect the integrity of the legitimate votes of the Kogi electorate.
"We are keenly aware of intense pressure, including violent threats on INEC staff, by agents and supporters of trailing opposition parties aimed at unduly influencing or disrupting ongoing collation of results in the state."
The ruling party urged INEC to stand firm in discharge of its constitutional duty to deliver free, fair and credible election in the state, and ensure that the freely exercised will of the Kogi electorate prevailed.
HURIWA: Elections Viciously Rigged, Full of Violence
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) condemned the spate violence, armed political thuggery, and electoral heists that characterised Saturday's off-cycle elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
HURIWA regretted that despite the assurances by the service chiefs, including the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, that there would be peaceful and law-based polls, the opposite was the case in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa.
It alleged that ballots boxes were cruelly snatched and in Imo State, armed police operatives were participants in the violent snatching of ballots boxes.
The rights group cited the example of the citizens' arrest of a uniformed senior police officer in Ikeduru, Imo State, who was caught by youths of the community carting ballots boxes away and handed him over to the police.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA condemned the security forces in Imo State, who allegedly supervised the violence unleashed on the Labour Party (LP) agent in Imo State, Calistus Ihejiagwa. Ihejiagwa was reportedly beaten and bundled out of the state Collation Centre in Owerri, the state capital.
HURIWA, however, held the opinion that it would amount to time wasting and misuse of resources for politicians, who lost in the elections, to file cases before the election petitions tribunal because the judiciary was unable to dispense justice.
Yiaga Africa: INEC Uploaded Results in PUs Without Polls
A civil society organisation (CSO), Yiaga Africa, asked INEC to clarify the status of locations where voting did not hold in the off-cycle polls, yet results were announced.
Through its Watching The Vote (WTV) initiative, Yiaga said its observers in Imo State said elections did not take place in 12 per cent of sampled polling units, and stressed that the cases were prevalent in Orsu, Okigwe, Oru East, and Orlu local government areas.
Yiaga said it monitored the upload of results on the IReV, especially, those from polling units where elections did not hold.
For Orsu Local Government Area in Imo State, Yiaga Africa's WTV reported that the election did not take place in nine sampled polling units. There were speculations that INEC might have relocated all polling units to the local government headquarters on election day.
Yiaga Africa said voters in Orsu Local Government Area were not informed of the change in polling unit location and INEC failed to issue an official statement on the supposed temporary relocation of polling units.
In Okigwe Local Government Area in Imo State, Yiaga Africa observers reported that elections did not take place in eight sampled polling units.
It stated, "In Oru East LGA, the election was not held in eight of Yiaga Africa's sampled polling units. In addition, elections were not held in seven of our sampled polling units in Orlu LGA and in one (1) of our sampled polling units each in Ideato North, Ikeduru, Oru West and Owerri West LGAs."
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It called on INEC to investigate these scenarios, saying, "Yiaga is concerned with the upload of results form EC8A for some of the sampled polling units, where elections were not conducted in Orsu, Oru East, Oru West, Ideato North, Ikeduru and Okigwe LGAs on the IreV.
"To ensure transparency and to protect the integrity of the process, Yiaga Africa calls on the INEC to clarify the status of voting across polling units in Orsu, Okigwe, Oru East and Orlu LGAs in Imo state.
"Additionally, INEC should investigate the report of likely election malpractices in these polling units, especially for locations where results have been uploaded on the IReV without the conduct of accreditation and voting."
Party Agents Created Chaos, Alleges EU Group
The European Union (EU) observers group protecting the rights of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), TAF Africa, stated that some political party agents created chaos and disorderliness in different polling units during the Saturday governorship election in Bayelsa State in an attempt to induce the PWDs through vote buying. They urged INEC to heighten vigilance and enforcement of electoral laws to maintain a free and fair electoral environment in the future exercise.
Speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa on Sunday, Chief Executive Officer and founder, TAF Africa, convener, disability inclusion Nigeria, Amb. Jake Epelle, said there was a positive development on the part of INEC, on the overall experience of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) during the 2023 off-cycle election, in contrast to the general election held earlier in the year.
Represented by the team leader to Bayelsa governorship election, Mr Muyiwa Aderibigbe, Epelle said the specific assistive tools, including the Braille ballot guide for the blind, large graphic posters for the deaf, and magnifying glasses for persons with albinism were deployed by INEC.
He said, "TAF Africa notes with concern the recorded incident of PWD voter inducement in the off-cycle states. For instance, in St. Luke Sec School, Agudama Epie polling unit, Epie Ward 1, Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State, some party agents engaged in vote buying, thereby causing chaos and disorderliness in the polling unit.
"This challenges the integrity of the electoral process and emphasises the need for heightened vigilance and enforcement of electoral laws to maintain a free and fair electoral environment.
"With a team of 30 trained observers deployed in each state, particularly in polling units with the highest number of registered persons with disabilities, our primary focus was evaluating the compliance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the deployment of assistive tools for persons with disabilities, access to priority voting in line with the electoral act as well as the overall experience of persons with disabilities at the polls.
"In a positive development, there was a notable improvement in the participation and overall experience of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) during the 2023 off-cycle election, in contrast to the general election held earlier in the year.
"TAF Africa acknowledges the efforts made by INEC in enhancing accessibility and inclusivity for PWDs in the electoral process. We acknowledge the commendable efforts made by INEC to enhance the participation and overall experience of PWDs in the 2023 off-cycle election."
Akpabio, Abiodun, Kalu Congratulate Uzodinma
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, congratulated the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, on his victory in last Saturday's governorship election.
Akpabio, in a congratulatory letter, hailed Uzodinma for his resilience and commitment to genuine democratic practices, saying, "Good governance has triumphed over propaganda."
He stated, "Your Excellency, I wish to heartily congratulate and rejoice with you and the people of Imo State on your well-deserved re-election as the Executive Governor of Imo state. Your victory is a testimony of your excellent performance in office in the last four years.
"I must say, this victory is an affirmation by Ndi Imo of your sterling leadership qualities and confirmation of your outstanding performance and delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people."
Abiodun expressed delight that the resounding victory of Uzodinma attested to his leadership quality and delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people. He also praised President Bola Tinubu and INEC for the hitch-free electoral process in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states on Saturday.
The governor stated, "On behalf of the people of Ogun State, I will like to extend my warmest congratulations on your re-election as the Governor of Imo State. Your resounding victory is a testament to the trust and confidence that the people of Imo State have in your ability to lead them towards progress and prosperity.
"We are delighted to see that your vision for Imo State has resonated with the people and that you have been given a renewed mandate to continue the good work that you have already begun. Your commitment to transforming Imo State into a modern, vibrant, and prosperous state is a shining example to other leaders across the country."
Kalu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Levinus Nwabughiogu, said Uzodinma's margin of win had eloquently demonstrated how the people of Imo State re-established their unwavering confidence in his administration, the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and All Progressives Congress (APC).
He stated, "On behalf of my family, the good people of Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, I congratulate you, my big brother, the indefatigable governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on your big win at the polls.
"Your margin of win has eloquently stamped one fact: that the people of Imo State have re-established their unwavering confidence in your administration, the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
"The resounding victory is also a testament of your tireless efforts to reposition Imo State. For sure, the milestones you recorded in the last three and a half years of your administration endeared the people to you and made them opt for continuity."
