PDP accuses Imo Governor Uzodinma of corruption, lawlessness, and judicial violations, warning citizens not to lose faith in democracy amid rising insecurity

The Imo Governor NJC crisis has taken centre stage as the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) levelled damning accusations against Governor Hope Uzodinma.

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In a strongly worded statement, the party condemned the Governor’s alleged disregard for constitutional processes, abuse of power, and mismanagement of public funds.

According to the PDP, Governor Uzodinma violated Section 271(4) of the Nigerian Constitution by appointing Hon. Justice Theophilus Nnamdi Nzeukwu as Acting Chief Judge without National Judicial Council (NJC) recommendation.

The NJC has since declared the appointment void. This has left the state without a Chief Judge for over eight months, paralysing judicial functions, including the assignment of cases.

The party’s spokesperson, Emenike Obiaku, further criticised the Governor for operating without transparency. He alleged that the Public Procurement Bureau has been shut down, and government contracts are being awarded secretly without legislative oversight or public accountability.

Projects such as the World Bank–Umuguma and Nekede–Iheanwa roads, which were previously awarded in 2020, are being re-awarded for billions of naira without visible progress.

Obiaku also condemned the Governor’s refusal to conduct local government elections, opting instead for sole administrators, a move he said deprives citizens of true grassroots representation.

He stated that over N500 billion in LGA allocations have disappeared without trace under Uzodinma’s watch, with no improvement in infrastructure, education, or welfare.

In a grim account of insecurity and human rights abuses, the PDP recalled the 2022 killing of 14 youths from Otulu community by a group allegedly linked to the government’s Ebubeagu strike force. The administration had claimed the victims were terrorists, a narrative strongly disputed by families and eyewitnesses.

The party also cited the massacre of over 100 people in Agwa community, Oguta LGA, by suspected Fulani herdsmen, accusing the government of ignoring the crisis and failing to show empathy or offer protection to citizens.

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Despite the dire situation, the PDP urged Imo people not to lose faith in democracy. “This is not democracy,” the statement concluded, insisting that the current administration’s reign will not last forever.