The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, on Friday, emphasized the significance of the charter of equity in the electorate’s rejection of the opposition during the off-cycle election held last Saturday.
Uzodimma made the remarks on Friday during the presentation of his certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Owerri, the state capital.
“Since I am (from) Orlu, these leaders endorsed me for a second term and final tenure. They made an appeal to the Imo people that only those from the Orlu zone should contest the last election because the charter does not abridge the constitutional rights of anybody,” he said.
“Our brothers from Owerri and Okigwe still contested but the people rejected them. They rejected them because they swam against the tide, which the charter of equity represents.”
The governor underscored the importance of the Imo Charter of Equity, established to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of leadership in the state, which had traditionally recommended candidates exclusively from the Orlu zone.
However, he highlighted that these candidates faced rejection from the electorate due to their deviation from popular opinion.
Uzodinma also stressed the vital role played by the charter of equity in his reelection, asserting that voters endorsed it to guarantee smooth future elections in the state.
“In other words, apart from my performance, the charter of equity played a key role in my reelection,” he said.
“People voted to support the charter so that going forward, our electoral process in the state will be rancour-free and less expensive.”
Additionally, he signaled that a notable result of the charter of equity under his administration would be the election of a governor from the Owerri Zone in 2027.