...Dedicates victory to God Almighty
Governor Hope Uzodimma on Friday polled 63, 618 votes from 64,667 accredited delegates drawn from 305 Electoral Wards and 27 Local Government Areas in Imo State to sweep the All Progressives Congress Primaries held in Owerri that produced him as the Party’s candidate for the November 11, 2023 governorship election.
The APC direct primaries which took place at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square Owerri, also has in attendance APC stalwarts from Imo State and representatives of the National Working Committee (NWC).
In his acceptance speech, Governor Uzodimma dedicated his victory to God Almighty for making the day possible and for touching the hearts of APC leaders and its members to unanimously choose him as their Governorship candidate for second tenure.
He thanked the delegates from the 305 wards in the State and the 27 LGAs and all Party members who came out to vote and for following the laid down regulations.
Governor Uzodimma who was excited over the victory and trust by his Party promised not to betray the confidence reposed on him.
He expressed gratitude to the Party members and reminded all to see Imo State as their own, noting that “we have no other State we can call our own.”
He told the mammoth crowd that “democracy is the best form of government and we cherish democracy because it is the only Government that is for the people that we can call our own.”
He recalled how he prayed to God before coming to contest and emerging as Governor of Imo State, saying “from that date till now God has never disappointed me.”
He expressed confidence in what God can do, noting that “on assumption of office I met some challenges but God in his infinite mercy handled the challenges in his own way.”
This, according to him, could be observed from the difference his administration has made in the development of Imo State before assumption and now.
The Governor reiterated that “political party is a vehicle” and prayed God to “use him as the driver of the vehicle to take Imo State to its destination.”
He recalled the challenges of insecurity in the past three years of his administration in Imo State and regretted the huge expenditure in that area.
“But for insecurity Imo State would have witnessed much more development than is experienced today.”
Furthermore, he noted that “APC is a Party at the National, in Imo State and by July when this administration will conduct the Local Government elections APC will be everywhere in the Local Government.”
Highlighting the influence of his achievements, the Governor said: “Strategic communication is the best way of informing the people which translates to seeing is believing.”
He charged the APC members in the State not to be afraid because “God will take charge of the battle” in their favour.
Governor Uzodimma said what the opposition is presenting to his administration as obstacles will be converted into opportunities, assuring that victory will be theirs come November 11, 2023.
The APC Deputy Chairman South, Chief Emma Eneukwu, who represented the National Chairman, Sen Abdullahi Adamu, eulogised the Governor for his unusual capacity that has benefited the Party and her members, and proceeded to hand over to him, the APC flag as the candidate for the coming poll.
Addressing the APC delegates that gathered for the exercise earlier, the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee for Imo State, Rear Admiral Williams Kayoda (rtd) said they were in the State “to witness the accreditation and voting of APC delegates in line with the Party constitution, guidelines of the Electoral Act of 2022 as amended and the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended.”
He said though the Party and the State House of Assembly have granted the Governor the right of sole candidate in the coming election, “the APC must follow the due processes so that they will be in tandem with the requirements of extant requirements.”
In his words: “The process must be followed to the letter in line with the mandate of the constitution.”
Rear Admiral Kayoda added that his team of seven members for the primary elections, six members for the Appeal Committee and Eight members that constitute the Secretariat were divided to cover the 305 INEC Wards and the 27 Local Government Areas of the State, insisting that the Polling and Returning Officers for the Primaries not only did well but “are fantastic.”
The Chairman said in “the Nigerian clime there are three instruments that guide every activity- legitimacy, legality, and morality- and affirmed that “once the three are followed it will align with the democratic process.”
He commended Governor Uzodimma for the good jobs he is doing in the State and APC in particular that endeared him to the Party members that made them choose him as their Sole Candidate.
He also gave credit to the organization of the exercise they came for and thanked the Chairman of the Party and the State Working Committee Members (SWC) for making their job easy and seamless.
He thereafter called for the affirmation of the results from Local Governments by the Ward Leaders after moving a motion to that effect which was seconded by two delegates, one from Ahiazu and another from Ideato, before proceeding to declare the Governor elected as the APC Governorship Candidate for Imo State in the November 11, 2023 election.
Welcoming the delegates to the exercise, the Chairman of APC in Imo State, Dr. Macdonald Ebere thanked all for coming for the event, particularly those who came from Abuja APC headquarters and expressed happiness that all went well as directed.
He expressed joy that Imo APC unanimously agreed to return the Governor for the second term.
Oguwike Nwachuku, Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Governor