Hope Odidika Uzodimma (born 12 December 1958) is a Nigerian politician who has served as the

governor of Imo State The governor of Imo State is an elective political position, one of the Lists of Nigerian state governors, governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria. The governor of Imo State is the chief executive, chief executive officer of Imo state and it ...

since 2020. On 14 January 2020, the

Supreme Court of Nigeria The Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) is the highest court in Nigeria, and is located in the Central District, Abuja, in what is known as the Three Arms Zone, so called due to the proximity of the offices of the Presidential Complex, the National Ass ...

declared Uzodimma of the

All Progressives Congress The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, t ...

(APC) winner of the 2019 governorship poll in

Imo State Imo () is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo R ...

, nullifying the election of the then-incumbent governor Emeka Ihedioha.

Origin

Hope Uzodimma was born on 12 December 1958 in Omuma to an Igbo

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

family; his father Chief Michael Uzodimma held the

chieftaincy A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Af ...

title of

Igwe Igwe (meaning ''"Sky"''), is a royal title or method of addressing traditional rulers that control autonomous communities in Igboland. In other words, Igbos approximate the term to the HM style. An Igwe is therefore defined as a holder of a tit ...

of Ozuh Omuma and his mother was Ezinne Rose Uzodimma (née Nneoha). He is a kinsman of the Okoro family of Etiti-Omuma. Uzodimma is a devout Catholic, and he is married to Chioma Uzodimma with seven children. Uzodimma attended Mgbidi Secondary School in Omumu, Oru West, Imo State, Nigeria, for his secondary education. He enrolled in college in 1978 and studied international studies there until 1982 when he received his bachelor’s degree. He had already earned an advanced diploma in transport studies before this. Uzodinma graduated from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) with a master’s degree in human relations. He also graduated from the University of London with a degree in political science. He holds a Diploma in Maritime Management Technology and a Higher Diploma in the same field from the

Federal University of Technology Owerri The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is a federal government university in Owerri West, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The university is bounded by the communities of Eziobodo, Ihiagwa, Obinze, Okolochi and Emeabia ...

. He also claimed to have a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in International Studies and Diplomacy from

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

, but the university has denied these claims. He has an Honorary Doctorate degree from Imo State University and a Fellow of the College of Agriculture, Umuagwo., from the

. Prior to his entry into politics, Uzodimma was a businessman with vast business interests.

Early political career

Uzodimma began his political career during the

Second Nigerian Republic The Second Nigerian Republic was a brief formation of the Nigerian state which succeeded the military governments formed after the overthrow of the first republic. Background Contested elections and political turbulence in the Western region ...

, joining the ruling

National Party of Nigeria The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic (1979–1983). History Formation The party's beginning could be traced to private and sometimes secret meetings among key Northern Nigeri ...

(NPN), where in 1983, he became the

youth leader. In the 1990s, with the aborted transition to the

Third Nigerian Republic The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1992 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution. In the Third Republic, there were to be state governors, state assemblies, and the National Assembly, a ...

, Uzodimma featured prominently as a member of the

United Nigeria Congress Party The United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) was a Nigerian political party. It was one of the five state-sanctioned political parties allowed by the government of General Sani Abacha to participate in state assembly elections held in December 1997, i ...

. In 1999, after the return to democracy, Uzodimma joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he served as a member of the party's National Caucus, National Executive Committee and on the

Board of Trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

, at various times between 1999 and 2017. As a party boss in Imo State, Uzodimma was a close associate of the Governor Achike Udenwa until late 2002, when ahead of the April 2003 elections he decamped to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), becoming the party's candidate for the Imo State gubernatorial election. After losing the election to Udenwa, he returned to the PDP in February 2004. He later contested the PDP governorship primaries in December 2006, coming in second to Senator Ifeanyi Araraume. In 2011, after the incumbent Governor

Ikedi Ohakim Ikedi Ohakim (born 4 August 1957) is a Nigerian businessman who became governor of Imo State in the South Eastern region in May 2007, standing for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). He later switched to the People's Democratic Party (Niger ...

joined the PDP, Uzodimma endorsed him to run for a second term as Governor of Imo State, favoring him over

Rochas Okorocha Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (born 22 September 1962) is a Nigerian politician of Igbo extraction, from Imo State. He was the senator representing Imo West senatorial district at the 9th Nigerian Senate. From 2011 to 2019 he served as Governor ...

who he later won. In January 2011, Uzodimma won the PDP senatorial primary for the Imo West, gaining 2,147 votes, while the incumbent Senator Osita Izunaso came second with 891 votes. Uzodimma was later disqualified by a federal high court judgment as he had not been cleared by the PDP electoral panel led by Nwafor-Orizu. In March 2011, a court of appeal issued a stay of execution while the case was being decided, leaving Uzodimma free to campaign. On 5 April 2011 the Court of Appeal upheld the federal high court judgement, Uzodimma later appealed this decision at the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. In the April 2011 elections, Uzodimma received 85,042 votes, ahead of former Governor Achike Udenwa of the

Action Congress of Nigeria The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a Nigerian political party formed via the merger from the coming together of a faction of Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of D ...

(ACN) with 64,228 votes and Rajis Okpalan Benedicta of the

All Progressives Grand Alliance The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is a Nigerian political party formed in June 2002 and has governed the South eastern state of Anambra since 2003. Electoral history At the Nigerian parliamentary election, 2003, legislative elections ...

with 57,110 votes. In May 2011, the Supreme Court overturned the earlier decisions and declared that Uzodimma was the valid candidate and therefore had been elected.

Senate (2011–2019)

On 6 June 2011, Uzodimma was sworn in as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, representing Imo West Senatorial District of

. He was re-elected for a second term in the Senate during the

2015 election Africa * 2015 Beninese parliamentary election 26 April 2015 * 2015 Burkinabé general election 29 November 2015 * 2015 Burundian legislative election 29 June 2015 * 2015 Burundian presidential election 21 July 2015 * 2015-16 Central African g ...

. In 2018, he left the Peoples Democratic Party and joined the ruling

(APC) in order to contest for

in the 2019 gubernatorial elections.

Governor of Imo State

In March 2019, the

Independent National Electoral Commission Independent National Electoral Commission may refer to: *Independent National Electoral Commission (Burundi) *Independent National Electoral Commission (Democratic Republic of the Congo) *Independent National Electoral Commission (Guinea) The Inde ...

sitting in Imo announced the governorship election results of Imo State: Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP who won with 273,404 votes, Uche Nwosu of Action Alliance with 190,364 votes, Ifeanyi Ararume of the

with 114,676 votes; and Uzodimma in fourth place with 96,458 votes. Uzodimma later challenged the victory of Ihedioha up to the

. On 14 January 2020, the Supreme Court declared Uzodimma the duly elected Governor of Imo State. The court held that results from 388 polling units were wrongly excluded from votes ascribed to Uzodimma and the APC in Imo adding that the first appellant Uzodimma holds the majority of lawful votes cast. On 15 January 2020, he and Placid Njoku were sworn in as the

Governor of Imo State The governor of Imo State is an elective political position, one of the Lists of Nigerian state governors, governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria. The governor of Imo State is the chief executive, chief executive officer of Imo state and it ...

and Deputy Governor of Imo State respectively. In his inaugural address, he ordered the states accountant general to provide a comprehensive financial status for the state from May 2010 to January 2020, he also ordered the permanent secretaries of all ministries in the state to forward the status of all contracts awarded, whilst halting the paying for all ongoing contracts. On 31 May 2023, Uzodimma emerged as chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, the umbrella body of governors of the ruling

(APC), replacing

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (born 26 December 1961) is a Nigerian people, Nigerian politician who is the current Nigerian minister of budget and economic planning. He served as governor of Kebbi State from 2015 to 2023. He also served as the senator ...

, the former

governor of Kebbi State This is a list of Kebbi State administrators and ''Governors of Kebbi State''. Kebbi State was formed on 27 August 1991, when it was split off from Sokoto State. References

*{{cite web , url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_fed ...

with the

governor of Kaduna State The governor of Kaduna State is the head of government of Kaduna State in Nigeria. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the Kaduna State Government. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or ...

Uba Sani Uba Sani (born 31 December 1970) is a Nigerian engineer and politician who has served as governor of Kaduna State since 2023. He previously served as the senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial district from 2019 to 2023. Career Sani ...

as the vice chairman. In the buildup to his re-election, Uzodinma on 13 August 2023, picked a new running mate, Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru for the 2023 Imo State governorship election. In September 2023, Uzodinma made claims to assist no fewer than 4,000 interested indigenes of Imo State relocation to Europe and Canada before the end of the year. Uzodinma gave this pledge at a campaign rally during one of his vote mobilizations tour ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the South Eastern State of Nigeria. In July 2023, a progress report from Data Phyte was released on how Uzodinma has been doing as governor of Imo State. The report indicated that there has been a revenue boost by the Uzodinma administration mainly due to the amendment of the Imo State Revenue Administration Law enacted by him in 2020. The report also ranks Imo State fourth place in terms of GDP per capita, just behind

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

Bayelsa Bayelsa is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. The capital, Yenagoa, ...

and

Akwa Ibom Akwa Ibom is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state takes its name from the Qua ...

states.

Awards and nominations

He was given the 2017 Personal Life of the Most Outstanding Parliamentarian of the Year by the Nigerian News. In 2022, Governor Hope Uzodimma bagged a peace award from the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

for his efforts at promoting inter-ethnic harmony in Nigeria and good governance in the state. He was nominated for the award by the United Towns Agency (UTA) for North-South Cooperation of the United Nations. He also bagged The Sun 2021 Governor of the year Award. Due to his sterling performance since his assumption of office as the governor of Imo State, South East Nigeria, Hope Uzodimma, bagged the prestigious honour of Most Prolific Governor of the Year 2023 by Face of Democracy Nigeria, FDN. In May, 2023, Gov. Uzodimma was conferred with the Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS) award in recognition for his contribution and commitment to national unity and equity. Governor Uzodimma also got honoured by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) for his outstanding performance in promoting fiscal transparency in governance. Governor Hope Uzodimma bagged UN peace awards. In May 2023, he conferred the National honour of Commander of the

Order of the Niger The Order of the Niger (OON) is the second highest Award, national award in Nigeria. It was instituted in 1963 and is junior to the Order of the Federal Republic, the highest order of merit in the country. Award The two highest honours, the Gr ...

by President

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...

Titles

Uzodimma had the ceremonial title of Onwa-Netiri Oha of Omuma in

Oru East Oru-East is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is at Omuma. The following are towns that make up Oru East: Akatta, Akuma, Amagu, Amiri, Awo-Omamma, and Omuma. Oru East is bounded by Njaba LGA, Mbaitolu, Orlu, ...

local government of Imo State. 2nd celemonial title: Ogbu Umunne ya maka Ego 1 of Imo State. 3rd celemonial title: Udele na eri ozu 1 of Imo State 4th celemonial title: Sabo ndi Igbo 1 of Imo State

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uzodimma, Hope 1958 births Living people Nigerian Roman Catholics All Progressives Congress politicians Imo State politicians People from Imo State Igbo politicians Peoples Democratic Party members of the Senate (Nigeria) People who fabricated academic degrees Commanders of the Order of the Niger Senators of the 7th National Assembly (Nigeria) Senators of the 8th National Assembly (Nigeria)