Hope Uzodinma

In March 2019, the Independent National Electoral Commission 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 All Progressives Grand Alliance with 114,676 votes; and Udozinma in fourth place with 96,458 votes. Uzodinma later challenged the victory of Ihedioha up to the Supreme Court. On 14 January 2020, the Supreme Court declared Uzodinma, the duly elected Governor of Imo State. The court held that results from 388 polling units were wrongly excluded from votes ascribed to Uzodinma and the APC in Imo adding that the first appellant Uzodinma holds the majority of lawful votes cast.

On 15 January 2020, he was sworn-in as the Governor of Imo State. 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 11 November 2018, Uzodinma was allegedly arrested by a special investigation panel for the failure of one of his companies to execute a US$12 million contract for the dredging of Calabar channel. Uzodinma later denied ever being arrested, saying it was an attempt to stop his campaign for governor.

Uzodinma won the PDP primary for the Imo West Senatorial race on 9 January 2011, gaining 2,147 votes, while the incumbent Senator Osita Izunaso came second with 891 votes. However, on 5 February 2011 a Federal High court declared that Izunaso was the candidate of the party for the senatorial seat since Uzodinma had not been cleared by the PDP's electoral panel headed by Orji Nwafor-Orizu.. The judge ordered the PDP to submit Izunaso's name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate who had received the most votes among those qualified to run. A Court of Appeal issued a stay of execution on 17 March 2011 while the case was being decided, leaving Uzodinma free to campaign. On 5 April 2011 the Court of Appeal upheld 5 February high court judgement and declared that Uzodinma was not qualified to run and should not present himself as a candidate. Uzodinma appealed this decision at the Supreme Court.

On 9 April, 2011 elections, Uzodinma received 85,042 votes, ahead of former Imo Governor Achike Adenwa of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with 64,228 votes and Rajis Okpalan Benedicta of the All Progressives Grand Alliance with 57,110 votes. On 5 May, 2011 the Supreme Court overturned the earlier decisions and declared that Uzodinma was the valid candidate and therefore had been elected. The decision was influenced by the minutes of a 5 January 2011 meeting of the PDP's National Working Committee that was attached to the April appeal to the Supreme Court. The meeting had overruled Nwafor-Orizu's decision to disqualify Uzodinma and rejected the December 2010 petition, saying "there was no evidence that Chief Hope Uzodinma has been convicted for murder, armed-robbery, obtaining money by false pretence and or for bankruptcy".

On 29 May 2011, Uzodinma was sworn-in as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Imo State (West Senatorial District). In 2018, he joined the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and contested for Governor of Imo State in the 2019 general elections.

Uzodinma was a competitor in the PDP primaries for Imo State Governor in December 2006, coming in second to Senator Ifeanyi Araraume. Uzodinma was appointed a member of the PDP Board of Trustees. He was among those who endorsed the bid by Ikedi Ohakim to run again for Imo Governor in 2011 after Ohakim had returned to the PDP.

Uzodinma was a PDP chief in Imo State and friend of the Governor Achike Udenwa until late 2002. At that time he decided to run for Governor himself in the April 2003 elections, and decamped to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), becoming their candidate for the Imo State gubernatorial election. He was unsuccessful, and in February 2004 was returned to the PDP.

In 1983, Hope Uzodinma began his political career as the Youth Leader of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In the 1990s, Uzodinma featured prominently as a member of the United Nigeria Congress Party. In 1999, following the transition from military rule to democracy, he became a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) serving on the pioneer Board of Trustees, National Caucus and NEC Member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) between 1999-2017.

Hope Odidika Uzodinma (born 12 December, 1958) is a Nigerian politician who is currently the Governor of Imo State, Nigeria. On 14 January 2020, the Supreme Court in Nigeria declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 2019 governorship poll in Imo State nullifying the election of incumbent Emeka Ihedioha.

Hope Uzodinma was born on 12 December 1958 in Omuma; his father Chief Michael Uzodinma held the chieftaincy title of Igwe of Ozuh Omuma and his mother was Ezinne Rose Uzodinma (née Nneoha). He is a kinsman of the Okoro family of Etiti-Omuma.