The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, on Monday accused the brains behind the protest of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja of plotting to overthrow the government of the President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr. Uzodinma alleged this while addressing some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were at the state Government House in Owerri, the state capital, on a solidarity visit.
He charged the PDP protesters of having ulterior motive by protesting a matter concerning Imo State in Abuja and other parts of the country.
The governor said, “PDP wants to overthrow the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. I, therefore, use this medium to call on all the security agencies to begin an investigation into the organised synchronised national crisis, which the PDP is plotting.
“I want you to keep supporting the government of President Buhari. You all know that I was the frontrunner candidate during the 2019 governorship election in Imo State. I did not challenge the election on the grounds of violence. I challenged the election on the grounds that INEC refused to accept the results of 388 polling units it accepted at the collation centres.
“The Tribunal did not understand our petition. The Appeal Court gave us a minority judgement, but the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, understood our petition and gave judgement in our favour.
“I am already the governor and I am in charge of Imo State Government House. Why would anybody challenge the integrity and wisdom of the Supreme Court justices? The Supreme Court justices gave us a majority judgement. The seven justices of the Supreme Court delivered their judgement in our favour.
“The same God who made me governor will sustain me. Nobody becomes governor without God’s approval. Don’t be afraid. I am in charge here and we will keep supporting and praying for our president to succeed.”
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday annulled the election victory of Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP, replacing him with Mr. Uzodinma (APC) as governor of Imo State.
That decision had sparked nationwide protest, with the aggrieved urging the apex court to reverse its decision. Interestingly it is the first time in the 57 years history of the Nigerian Supreme Court that its decision sparked nationwide protest.
There had been protests in Abuja, Imo, Abia, Taraba and Ogun states in an attempt to get the apex court revisit its controversial decision in the Imo case.
Meanwhile, the Independent Nation Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, said that it stands by its declarations for the 2019 elections notwithstanding the Supreme Court judgments that reversed some of the election results declared by the Commission.
INEC in the Imo governorship election had declared the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Emeka Ihedioha winner with 273,404 votes, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hope Uzodinma who was returned by the Supreme as the authentic winner was placed fourth with 96,458 votes by INEC.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC National Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a chat with The Nation stated that “once INEC makes a declaration, it stands by it”.
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