INEC issues Certificate of Return to Uzodinma

The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued Certificate of Return to Senator Hope Uzodinma as winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Imo State in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the ceremony at INEC headquarters in Abuja, Uzodinma, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the election, dedicated his victory to God and the “functional judiciary” of the country.
He said: “We thank God that at the end of the day through His Mercy, His will and the mandate of our people of Imo, who came out to vote for APC and myself, that at the end of the day their wishes and mandate have been recognised.
“We owe this victory to God Almighty.
“We owe it to functional judiciary.
“That our judiciary is working and the Supreme Court worked to expectation.
“The people of Imo have not been denied their choice of leadership and the efforts they made during election.
“It is something we must be grateful for.”
Uzodinma described the litigation process he went through as part of democratic process, saying: “There must be challenge here and there, but you must develop thick skin and strength to follow through litigation.
“That is what we did and the first court did not do what we wanted.
“The second court followed through, but the Supreme Court used it eagle eye and gave us victory.
“We thank God”.
He said the excitement of the people of Imo State about the Supreme Court judgement was in response to the fact that the mandate they gave to him has been protected.
Uzodinma said he recognised that the challenge before the APC and himself as the governor was to ensure that reasonable expectations of the people were not dashed.
He added: “l owe them a great deal of work to ensure that those expectations, democratic dividends and things that they believe I will do as a governor, God’s willing, that I will do them to conclusive end.”