The governor took the oath of office at around 3:24 pm at the Dan Ayiam Stadium in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
His inauguration came just minutes after Lady Chinyere Ekomaru took her oath of office as the deputy governor of Imo State.
Monday’s event had in attendance thousands of Imo residents and guests within and outside the state.
President Bola Tinubu; ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo; the Senate President Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker of the House of Representative Tajudeen Abbas, and other All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains were among those in attendance.
In his speech at the event, Uzodimma promised to exceed his performance in the first term, thanking the people of the state for their support.
Citing Apostle Paul in the Bible, Uzodimma said his quest for a better Imo will see him do more for them in his second term in office.
He also thanked President Tinubu for attending the event and praised him for always supporting him and the state.
Tinubu, Obasanjo Attend Uzodimma’s Inauguration For Second Term
President Bola Tinubu and ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo were among the top dignitaries at the inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State for a second term in office.
Tinubu, who was earlier at an event in Abuja for the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, landed at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri around 1 pm on Monday. He was accompanied by some government officials and was welcomed by Uzodimma and other Imo leaders. Obasanjo was also spotted at the event at the Dan Anyiam Stadium alongside other dignitaries.
The Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas also attended the event. The Anambra governor Charles Soludo was represented by his deputy Onyekachi Ibezim. Despite the sit-at-home event in the South-East, residents of Imo State shunned it and trooped out en masse for the swearing-in event. They wore colourful attire as they marched through the streets to the Dan Anyiam Stadium. Monday’s inauguration came about two months after Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won a second term in office, defeating his closest rivals Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP)’s Athan Achonu.
The governor got 540,308 votes, the PDP candidate secured 71, 503 votes, and Nneji Achonu polled 64,081 votes.
Imo Residents Shun Sit-At-Home, Turn Out En Masse For Uzodimma’s Inauguration
Residents of Imo State turned out in their numbers on Monday for the inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodimma for a second term, shunning the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Residents, many of them dressed in colourful, and traditional attires were spotted in the streets of the state capital, Owerri for the event billed for the Dan Anyiam Stadium. Inside the stadium, the citizens waiting for the event to start properly created a carnival-like atmosphere with singing and dancing.
President Bola Tinubu is in Owerri for the inauguration of Governor Uzodimma (of the APC) who was re-elected in an election held on November 11, 2023. He polled 540,308 votes to defeat Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who secured 71, 503, and Nneji Achonu of the Labour Party (LP), who got 64,081 votes, and others. The LP and PDP both rejected the results. However, the Governor extended an olive branch to the opposition candidates in his acceptance speech, calling on them to support him for the development of the state.
Ahead of the inauguration, President Tinubu commissioned the newly reconstructed Airport Road in Owerri.
The President, who travelled to Owerri after observing the Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Abuja, was received at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri by the Governor and other top federal and state officials.
The President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Ganduje were among those who accompanied the President to Imo State.
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