Recalled that the apex court had, in a unanimous verdict on January 14, nullified the election of Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor of Imo State.
The court said Ihedioha did not score the lawful majority votes in the election and his place the justices declared Uzodinma the rightful winner having arrived at a decision that after adding votes scored by Uzodinma in 388 polling units, he (Uzodinma) scored the highest votes to win the election.
Uzodinma was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.
Not satisfied with the decision however, Ihedioha has appealed to the Supreme Court for a review of the judgment.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Uzodinma, on his part said that the matter was already “a concluded case”.
He said: “I am not disturbed by the PDP’s move to seek a review of the judgment. I am not concerned because I believe they are going back to the Supreme Court based on falsehood because the number of accredited votes outside the excluded votes is what they are talking about.
“But, if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about the number of accredited votes including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited votes inclusive of the excluded voters, the figures are correct.
“We went to court with an issue of exclusion; we didn’t go to court complaining about election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case.
“My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo vs Onoh and Omoboriowo vs Ajasin – It is the position of the Supreme Court that where an election has been announced at a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the results into the Form EC 8B.
“So, let INEC tell us what happened; I’m a lawmaker and I participated in the amendment of the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed.
“As far as I’m concerned, the 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has expired. I’m not a lawyer but with my little knowledge of law making, I understand what is in the Electoral Act.”
Meanwhile, the governor pledged to transform the lives of the inhabitants of Imo state.
He said he had had already paid all outstanding salaries of civil servants in the state and promised workers in the state better days ahead.
“For 12 years, no governor visited the civil service secretariat, I was there two days ago and water has not been available to the secretariat for the past nine years.
“Two days after my visit, water is running there now. They have been re-connected to electricity and the generators are being worked on now.
“So, my mandate is about the people and my government will just be about the people and by the grace of God, I will not disappoint their expectations.
“I am sure they will see good governance from a man with experience, working in consultations with political stakeholders in the state. I think we can do it differently and the narrative will be acceptable to the people,’’ he said.
The National Chairman of the APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, who accompanied the Governor on the visit said that they were at the presidential villa to introduce Hope Uzodinma as the governor of Imo State to President Buhari.
He said: “The governor of Imo, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, is not a stranger to the president. He has been part of the APC family; he has played very decisive roles when it mattered in the affairs of the party.
“So, the purpose of today’s meeting is just to introduce him as the new executive governor of Imo.
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