This comes after legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, called for an interim government to be in force for six months to chart a new course for Nigeria.

Uzodinma, while addressing State House Correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday, said this would create an interregnum not supported by the Nigerian Constitution.

The Governor said, “By May 29, if there is no elected government, our constitution has not provided for an interregnum. There shouldn’t be a gap, otherwise, you are creating room for anarchy.”

He advised those championing interim government to approach the National Assembly for the constitution to be amended to the effect.

He said, “What will be the process of selecting the interim government because, after May 29, the president may not have constitutional powers to function as a president anymore? So, I don’t think we will decide to abandon our constitution. The constitution is like a bible. For some of us who are Christians, the bible is the manager of our faith. So, the constitution should be the instrument guiding our actions as a country. If you think there is an opinion that is worthy to be canvassed superior to what is in the Nigerian Constitution, such opinion should be taken to the national assembly and they will through due process amend our constitution to factor in such an opinion.”

Armed security men stormed the church during mass, shot sporadically into the air before whisking Nwosu away.

IPOB in a statement released by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said if not for the fighting spirit of Nwosu’s family, the Uzodinma-led government would have blamed its militia wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), for the “abduction of the politician.”

“We the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) condemn the abduction of Uche Nwosu in the church.

This is another vindication that IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN) are not responsible for the numerous attacks, abductions/kidnappings in Imo State contrary to false accusations and propaganda by Hope Uzodinma and his co-travellers.

The incident has also further confirmed the complicity of Hope Uzodinma and the All Progressives Congress party in the insecurity going on in Imo State and the South-East region.

But for the dexterity and fighting spirit of Nwosu’s family and associates, Hope Uzodinma, his co-travellers and some infamous media houses would have, as usual, pointed accusing fingers at ESN, IPOB and unknown gunmen. But God Almighty, Chukwu Okike Abiama, has exposed them this time around.

It will not be a surprise if by tomorrow, Hope Uzodinma fingers Uche Nwosu and his in-law Rochas Okorocha as the sponsors of IPOB, ESN, unknown gunmen and insecurity in Imo State. We know his antics and such options may not be out of the table.

For the umpteenth time, no single individual can sponsor IPOB. We are a global movement and millions of our family members home and abroad remain the source of our sponsorship.

We have never hidden this fact because we are not a secret or terror organisation. IPOB is well grounded and we don’t need any Okorocha, Uche Nwosu or Hope Uzodinma or any politician for that matter to sponsor us. We have no dealings with corrupt politicians and people with questionable source of wealth.

It’s now transparently obvious to all who the masterminds of the abductions/killings of many traditional rulers and religious leaders including politicians in Imo State and other parts of South East are.

It is also now clear who created unknown gunmen to demonise and implicate IPOB and ESN operatives.”the statement read

Uzodinma in an interview on Channels Television said that Imo residents were excited about Buhari’s visit and came all out to welcome him.

He also stated that he and other Igbo leaders will be supporting the president, his administration and his policies because he has shown sufficient interest in terms of pragmatic approach in listening and being sensitive to the yearnings of Imolites and Igbo people in general.

Uzodinma said “What is important to me is that Mr President visited and you could see the excitement of the entire Igbo nation. The leadership received Mr President, commended Mr President, pledged to support Mr President’s government and policies. When we say this, we mean it. We meant every inch of the word — that we are supporting the president; we are supporting his administration, and we are supporting his policies because Mr President has shown sufficient interest in terms of pragmatic approach in listening and being sensitive to the yearnings of Imolites and Igbo people in general. We meant it. Our people came. You could see that with the sit-at-home order, which is only a social media sit-at-home order. The sit-at-home order is not in Imo state, because we never issued any sit-at-home order. Imo people are excited. lmo people are happy that the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, one united Nigeria with a common destiny, visited Imo, commissioned projects, spoke to his people and we are happy. And he left happy. There was no security breach, no incident of disloyalty. There was no violence.”

Buhari landed at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri, the state capital where he was received by dignitaries.

The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, in a post on Facebook, stated that the President is in the state to commission some projects.

He wrote, “It is with a heart full of gratitude that I, on behalf of the good people of Imo State, welcome His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR to the Eastern Heartland on a working visit to commission some of our completed people-oriented projects. Mr President, we are delighted to have you in Imo State on this august occasion despite your tight schedules and it’s our pleasure that while in Imo State, you will enjoy the hospitality and conviviality of our people.”

Government officials arrived at the location which is the old quarters of the staff of Imo Broadcasting Corporation and sealed it.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State on Print Media, Modestus Nwamkpa, who confirmed the development, said that the governor, Hope Uzodinma, was committed to recovering properties of the state allegedly “looted by Okorocha and his family members”.

Nwamkpa said that the governor was implementing the recommendations of various White Papers by committees set up by the state government.

The governor’s aide said that the seal off “is true”, adding that “Governor Hope Uzodinma is committed to recovering all the properties of the state stolen. This is not a personal war it is just the implementation of the recommendations of the whitepapers of the various committees set up the government.”

Uzodinma said this in Owerri, the Imo State capital when he welcomed his counterparts from the other states of the South-East and stakeholders of the region to its first security summit last Sunday.

He said “Igbo are major stakeholders in Nigeria as they constitute the second largest population of every city in Nigeria. Our people have more stake in real estates in virtually all the major cities in the country, our people control the commanding height of commerce all over the country. We, the Igbo are more united than any other ethnic nationality in Nigeria, through our shared struggle, our chequered history and our deep-rooted extended family traditions and brotherhood makes our values, beliefs, commitment to a united Nigeria, beyond reproach. What Ndigbo wants is justice, equity and fairness. A Nigeria that provides a level playing ground for all citizens. That is what we want, not Biafra. And we believe we can get what we want through constructive and tenacious engagement with fellow Nationals and relevant institutions, not by violence or war. Igbo have seen war, not in storybooks or in movies but real war. No right-thinking Igbo, who experienced the excruciating and devastating effects of the civil war on Igboland and our people, will vote for another war. The young and inexperienced may zealously want to beat the drumbeat of war, but it is our duty, as their parents and elders to talk them out of it. Those creating the erroneous impression that Igbo want to leave Nigeria are either naive or mischievous. Igbos need Nigeria just like Nigeria and Nigerians need Igbo,”

Counsel to the former governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha and the PDP, Kanu Agabi (SAN) sought an adjournment to enable the parties conclude on the processes that are being filed and served. Counsel to Uzodinma and APC, Damian Dodo (SAN) did not oppose the application.

Ihedioha and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had filed an application before the apex court, asking it to set aside its judgement of January 14th in which the court nullified the March 9 election of Ihedioha and declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the election.

Speaking to newsmen after being presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, Hope Uzodinma alleged that Ihedioha’s reasons for seeking a review and reversal of the supreme court judgement are based on falsehood. He also insisted that the time for election petitions are over.

He said “I am not disturbed by the PDP’s move to seek a review of the judgment. I am not concerned because I believe they are going back to the Supreme Court based on falsehood because the number of accredited votes outside the excluded votes is what they are talking about. But, if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about the number of accredited votes including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited votes inclusive of the excluded voters, the figures are correct. We went to court with an issue of exclusion; we didn’t go to court complaining about election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case. My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo vs Onoh and Omoboriowo vs Ajasin – It is the position of the Supreme Court that where an election has been announced at a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the results into the Form EC 8B. So, let INEC tell us what happened; I’m a lawmaker and I participated in the amendment of the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed. As far as I’m concerned, the 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has expired. I’m not a lawyer but with my little knowledge of law making, I understand what is in the Electoral Act.”

Secondus in the company of the PDP Vice Presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Peter Obi, Dino Melaye and other chieftains, took to the streets of Abuja to protest the January 14th judgement by the Supreme court nullifying Emeka Ihedioha’s election and replacing him with APC’s Hope Uzodinma

Reacting to the protest said the fact that the PDP members decided to hold the protest in Abuja showed they had an ulterior motive which was to topple the Buhari government. He said they should stop protesting as it was God who made him Governor.

He said “The motive of those who are wearing black, protesting around the country is not about the Imo State governorship election. If it is the Imo State governorship election, why are PDP members protesting in Abuja, Bayelsa and everywhere in the country? Why are they not protesting only in Imo State? PDP wants to overthrow the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. I, therefore, use this medium to call on all the security agencies to begin an investigation into the organised synchronised national crisis, which the PDP is plotting. I want you to keep supporting the government of President Buhari. You all know that I was the frontrunner candidate during the 2019 governorship election in Imo State. I did not challenge the election on the grounds of violence. I challenged the election on the grounds that INEC refused to accept the results of 388 polling units it accepted at the collation centres. The Tribunal did not understand our petition. The Appeal Court gave us a minority judgement, but the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, understood our petition and gave judgement in our favour. I am already the governor and I am in charge of Imo State Government House. Why would anybody challenge the integrity and wisdom of the Supreme Court justices? The Supreme Court justices gave us a majority judgement. The seven justices of the Supreme Court delivered their judgement in our favour. The same God who made me governor will sustain me. Nobody becomes governor without God’s approval. Don’t be afraid. I am in charge here and we will keep supporting and praying for our president to succeed.”

The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, prophesied earlier this year, saying: “I don’t know the manner the revelation will manifest but no prophecy has ever been declared on this prayer ground without coming to pass. In spite of all that would happen this 2020, there is hope. In Imo State, there is hope. Hope, hope, hope! Hope in Imo State. Imo people have suffered but God is raising a new hope that would be an agent of salvation for them.”

After Hope Uzodinma was declared the governor of Imo state, Mbaka revealed there are 39 more prophecies of his that will come to pass in 2020. In the statement by his spokesman, Maximus Ugwuoke, Mbaka said he gave 40 prophecies on New Year’s Eve.

The statement read in part, “Uzodinma becoming the governor of Imo was just a part of the about 40 prophetic prayers Fr. Mbaka made on December 31. But that became the only issue people satanically picked against him. God has vindicated Fr. Mbaka as He has always done for Fr. Mbaka and adoration ministry in all the battles, vituperations and attacks the ministry had faced in the past. To God be the glory. The Judgement has for umpteenth times vindicated Fr Mbaka as a true prophet of God. People should learn to fear God and respect His anointed whenever he says ‘Thus says the Lord. We are not all gifted alike, Fr. Mbaka’s prophetic gift should be a source of pride for the Catholic Church and indeed all true Christians as living evidence of divine presence within the Church. As a lawyer, I tell you that there are double-fold angles to this miracle. One is the miraculous resuscitation of Hope Uzodinma from the far away position he was placed in the election result announced by INEC in Imo State. The second is the unanimous confirmation of the seven Justices of the Supreme Court (without a dissenting view) that Uzodinma was the rightful winner of the election.”