Imo 2023: Full List of Imo State Governors From 1999 to Date
Imo State is set to experience another political change on Saturday, November 11, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be conducting another governorship election in the state.
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This is coming as the tenure of Governor Hope Uzodinma will be coming to an end in January 2024, and a new era is expected to begin in the state.
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Imo State was created on 17 March 1976 by the then military government from part of the South East State. Since its creation, the state has experienced both military and democratic leadership.
However, since the return of democracy in 1999, the state has experienced democratic processes through elections and court verdicts.
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Below is the list of democratic governors of Imo from 1999:
Achike Udenwa
Udenwa became the governor of Imo state on the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He was re-elected on the same platform in the 2003 general election, and his tenure ended in 2007. He was born in 1948.
Ikedi Ohakim
Ohakim succeeded Udenwa in 2007 governorship election in Imo State under the platform of the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA). He later joined the PDP but could not secure his return to the governor's office for second term as he was defeated in the 2011 general election.
Earlier this year, the former governor have his taste of the insecurity rampaging the Southeast states as he was attacked by the devilish unknown gunmen in the region but survive the attack, The Punch reported.
Rochas Okorocha
Okorocha defeated Ohakim in the 2011 governorship election and served the state on two consecutive time before moving to the Senate in 2019.
He was one of the controversial members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and was consistently pursued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) soon after leaving office.
Emeka Ihedioha
Ihedioha succeeded Okorocha as governor of Imo State under the platform of the PDP but he tenure was cut short following series of court cases and election malpractices that marred his victory in the 2019 poll.
Following a long legal battle between him and his opponent from the APC, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and others, Ihediora was removed by the Supreme Court in January 2020, a judgment that has strongly been criticized.
Hope Uzodinma
Uzodinma is the current governor of Imo State and is seeking re-election in the Saturday November 11 governorship election in the state.
The governor lost to Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP in the 2019 election and came a distance fourth but was able to emerge as the governor of the state via court ruling.
Uzodinma's victory at the court has been criticised by Retired Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad of the Supreme Court, who lamented the anomalies in the Nigerian justice system during his valedictory speech, citing the victory of the Imo State governor at the apex court as a case study.
Uzodinma will win Imo Governorship Election 2023
However, the governor has been predicted to be the winner of the forthcoming election by political analysts who spoke to Legit.ng in a separate interviews.
Chizorom Ofoegbu, a political commentator popularly known as Ijele Speaks, in an interview with Legit.ng, posited that the governor has the chances of winning. He said:
"As for the Imo state election, there's no one to stop the governor there."
Also, Hon. Richard Ngene, a chieftain of the APC in Enugu state, who spoke with Legit.ng, said apart from the insecurity problem in Imo, Uzodinma has been the best governor in the Southeast region.
He posited:
"Hope Uzodimma will be re-elected. Apart from the insecurity issues in Imo state. Hope is the most performing Governor in southeastern states."
IMO 2023: Campaign DG, ex-gov, and others absent as PDP kick-off campaigns
Legit.ng earlier reported that the PDP had begun its campaign on a sour note ahead of the Imo state governorship election on November 11.
This is because many stakeholders in the PDP, including the former governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha and the campaign DG, Ikenga Ugochinyere, did not show up.
But Iliya Damagun, the PDP's acting chairman, expressed optimism that the ruling APC would be defeated during the poll.
Source: Legit.ng
