Supreme Court Rejects Ihedioha’s Bid to Remove Uzodinma as Imo Gov
In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking the removal of Hope Uzodinma from office as the governor of Imo State.
The application aimed to secure a consequential order instructing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to Ihedioha, asserting his claim as the validly elected governor of Imo State in the 2019 election.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar, delivering the lead judgment on Tuesday, declared that the application lacked merit, deeming it frivolous and vexatious. Justice Abubakar asserted that the court did not have the jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter, emphasizing that the 60-day time frame stipulated for hearing election-related issues had expired.
In a significant move, Justice Abubakar imposed a fine of N40 million on the Counsel for the PDP, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, citing the frivolous nature of the case and the imposition of unnecessary burden on the court.
This verdict solidifies Hope Uzodinma’s position as the governor of Imo State, reaffirming the outcome of the 2019 election.