#ImoDecides2023: INEC declares Uzodinma winner of Imo governorship election

INEC said the APC candidate scored 540,308 votes to defeat his closest challenger of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu.

Uzodinma won in all 27 local government areas (LGAs) of Imo State, as announced by the Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fashina.

The collation of results at the State Collation Centre in Owerri, the state capital, commenced at 02:30 am on Sunday and saw Abayomi Fashina, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, serving as the state Returning Officer for the election. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as 18 parties fielded candidates, but analysts had characterized the race as a four-horse competition between Governor Uzodimma, seeking re-election under the APC, Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Achonu Nneji of the Labour Party, and Jack Ogunewe of the Action Alliance.

As the results trickled in, it became evident that none of the other candidates managed to secure victory in any local government, consolidating Governor Uzodimma’s dominance throughout the state.

The electoral statistics revealed that Imo State had a total of 2,419,922 registered voters, with 2,318,919 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected. The collation process, presided over by Prof Fashina, took a brief hiatus at 08:30 am on Sunday and later reconvened to declare the final results.

The breakdown of results from the various LGAs illuminated the scale of Uzodimma’s triumph:

Oru West LGA
– Accredited voters: 42,965
– APC: 38,026
– LP: 1,867
– PDP: 987
– Total valid votes: 41,373
– Total votes cast: 42,318

Njaba LGA
– Accredited voters: 12,098
– APC: 8,110
– LP: 995
– PDP: 2,404
– Valid votes: 11,736
– Total votes: 12,030

Owerri North LGA
– Registered voters: 134,555
– Accredited voters: 18,398
– APC: 8,536
– LP: 4,386
– PDP: 3,449
– Valid votes: 17,440
– Total votes cast: 18,016

Nwangele LGA
– Registered voters: 55,535
– Accredited voters: 33,259
– APC: 29,282
– LP: 895
– PDP: 2,132
– Valid votes: 32,597
– Total votes cast: 32,959

Owerri Municipal LGA

Registered voters – 134169
Accredited voters – 11110

APC – 5324
LP – 2914
PDP – 2180

Valid votes – 10813
Votes cast – 11054

Orsu LGA
Accredited voters – 19139

APC – 18003
LP – 813
PDP – 624

Valid votes 19589
Votes cast 19795

Okigwe LGA
Registered voters – 75410
Accredited voters – 63935

APC – 55585
LP – 2655
PDP – 1688

Valid votes – 62970
Total votes cast – 63935

Ideato South LGA
Registered voters – 79361
Accredited voters – 21935

APC – 16891
LP – 1649
PDP – 2469

Valid votes – 21370
Total votes cast – 21650

Onuimo LGA

Registered voters – 36717
Accredited voters – 18405

APC – 13434
LP – 1753
PDP – 2676

Valid votes – 18240
Total votes cast – 18276

Ngor-Okpala LGA
Registered voters – 102048
Accredited voters – 22111

APC – 14143
LP – 2716
PDP – 3451

Valid votes – 21492
Total votes cast – 22003

Oru East LGA
Registered voters – 85080
Accredited voters – 74324

APC – 67315
LP – 3443
PDP – 2202

Valid votes – 74286
Total votes cast – 74290

Isu LGA

Registered voters – 55203
Accredited voters – 15974

APC – 11312
LP – 1253
PDP – 2508

Valid votes – 15776
Total votes cast – 15932

Ahiazu Mbaise LGA
Registered voters – 98887
Accredited voters – 16097

APC – 8369
LP – 2214
PDP – 3507

Valid votes – 15353
Total votes cast – 15878

Nkwerre LGA
Registered voters – 59926
Accredited voters – 26993

APC – 22488
LP – 1320
PDP – 2632

Valid votes – 26764
Total votes cast – 26906

Aboh Mbaise LGA
Registered voters – 111207
Accredited voters – 16084

APC – 9638
LP – 2455
PDP – 1724

Valid votes – 15415
Total votes cast – 15790

Owerri West LGA
Registered voters – 140242
Accredited voters – 16296

APC – 9205
LP – 2597
PDP – 3305

Valid votes – 15712
Total votes cast – 16223

Isiala Mbano LGA
Registered voters – 99076
Accredited voters – 15911

APC – 10860
LP – 2419
PDP – 1659

Valid votes – 15202
Total votes cast – 15531

Obowo LGA
Registered voters – 68690
Accredited voters – 22214

APC – 17514
LP – 3404
PDP – 712

Total valid votes – 21907
Total votes cast – 22171

Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA
Registered voters – 91272
Accredited – 16971

APC – 8473
LP – 3332
PDP – 2737

Valid votes – 16282

Oguta LGA

Registered voters – 95152
Accredited voters – 64260

APC – 57310
LP – 1941
PDP – 2653

Valid votes – 63675
Total votes cast – 63947

Ikeduru LGA

Registered voters – 119987
Accredited voters – 33662

APC – 22356
LP – 1377
PDP – 7258

Valid votes – 32183
Total votes cast – 32712

Ehime Mbano LGA

Registered voters – 79212
Accredited voters – 13027

APC – 6632
LP – 4958
PDP – 681

Valid votes – 12484
Total votes cast – 12782

Orlu LGA

Registered voters – 103223
Accredited voters – 49229

APC – 37614
LP – 2424
PDP – 3690

Valid votes – 48027
Total votes cast – 48386

Ohaji Egbema LGA

Registered voters – 107456
Accredited – 21366

APC – 14962
LP – 1506
PDP – 3694

Valid votes – 20755
Total votes cast – 21249

Ideato North LGA

Registered voters – 86905
Accredited voters – 9609

APC – 5271
LP – 1522
PDP – 2062

Valid votes – 9161
Total votes cast – 9550

Ihitte Uboma LGA

Registered voters – 52108
Accredited voters – 17537

APC – 11099
LP – 2766
PDP – 3077

Valid votes – 17358
Total votes cast – 17537

Mbaitoli LGA

Registered voters – 153283
Accredited Voters – 24186

APC – 12556
LP – 4007
PDP – 5343

Valid votes 23014
Total votes cast 23986

The results showcased a sweeping victory for Governor Hope Uzodimma across all LGAs, solidifying his position as the people’s choice in Imo State. The atmosphere at the collation centre was marked by celebrations among APC supporters, while the defeated candidates and their parties contemplated the road ahead.

Meanwhile, the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa, also held on November 11, 2023, had their results collation adjourned to Sunday morning.