Sodiq Oyeleke
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has faulted those referring to him as a “Supreme Court Governor”, saying that they are ignorant.
He spoke on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme monitored by our correspondent on Friday.
The governor explained that he emerged through a legitimate means, adding that he was not the first to be favoured by a Supreme Court judgement.
Asked how he feels when people call him a Supreme Court governor, Uzodinma said, “It is the height of ignorance because they don’t know what they are saying. There is a reason for the Supreme Court. In the doctrine and principle of democracy, the law expected that there would be grievances and malpractices in the electoral process.
“When this happens, the only legitimate right you have is to seek redress at the court. And of course, the court determines. Remember that this is not the first time, so many elections had held where the candidates went to court and they got justice. So, why will mine be different?
“Human beings voted and the votes were not counted. I went to the Supreme Court and INEC was unable to explain why they did not enter the result. It was a simple judgment. The Supreme Court said INEC was wrong.”
The apex court had, on January 14, removed Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party on the ground that he did not score the lawful majority votes in the Imo governorship race.
The court said it arrived at that decision after adding votes scored by Uzodinma in 388 polling units, which showed that he won the race.
It subsequently declared Uzodinma the winner of the election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to give him a Certificate of Return as elected Imo governor.
Ihedioha, however, returned to the Supreme Court with a view to seeking a review of the judgement that removed him from office but failed.
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