The Governor of Imo State is an elective political position. He's one of the governors of the thirty-six states in Nigeria. The governor of

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra 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 n ...

is the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of Imo state and its

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state. In poli ...

with the assistance of the Deputy Governor (his political

running-mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pre ...

). Fourteen different people have served as governor of

; 8 military governors, 2 military administrators and 7 democratic governors since the state was created in 1976. The current governor of the state is

Hope Uzodinma Hope Odidika Uzodimma (born 12 December 1958) is a Nigerian politician who serves as Governor of Imo State. On 14 January 2020, the Supreme Court in Nigeria declared Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 2019 govern ...

of the All Progressives Congress, in office since January 15, 2020.

Duties and functions

Governor in his official capacity appoints the principal state officers, Commissioners, Heads of State Ministries, State Judicial officers, Permanent Secretaries and other Heads of Department. The Governor doesn't belong to the State House of Assembly. The Governor oversees all the functions of the Executive cadre of the Government of Imo State.

Executive powers

Most

executive power The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

lies with the governor whose responsibility is to enforce state laws. The governor serves as the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...

with supreme authority over the Executive Council. Excluding the deputy governor, the governor appoints commissioners, heads of government agencies, special advisers and judicial officers subject to the House's approval. The governor has the duty to attract investments, promote business and implement political as well as economic initiatives. The governor in his executive capacity also serves as the Chief Security Officer of the State.

Legislative powers

Under the Constitution, every

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

passed by the Imo House of Assembly must be presented to the governor for approval before it becomes

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

. The governor may choose to sign it and make it law,

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

it and return it to the House, or take no action, however. If the governor vetoes the bill, a

two-thirds majority 2/3 may refer to: * A fraction with decimal value 0.6666... * A way to write the expression "2 ÷ 3" ("two divided by three") * 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines of the United States Marine Corps * February 3 * March 2 Events Pre-1600 * 537 – ...

of the House may override it, and the bill will become act without the governor's signature. If the governor does not act, the bill will automatically become

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

after a 30-day period.

Judicial powers

Judicial officers are appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council subject to confirmation of the appointment by the Imo State House of Assembly. Should a vacancy arise in the office of the

Chief Judge A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...

or the President of the

Customary Court of Appeal The Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal is a court of justice of second instance that has appellate and supervisory jurisdiction over matters of customary law in Rivers State. It is presided over by a president assisted by a number of judges as ...

, the governor can appoint the next most senior judge of those courts to act for a period of three months. Section 212, subsection (1) and (2) further empowers the chief executive to issue pardons and reprieves, commute sentences, or remit

fines Fines may refer to: * Fines, Andalusia, Spanish municipality * Fine (penalty) * Fine, a dated term for a premium on a lease of land, a large sum the tenant pays to commute (lessen) the rent throughout the term *Fines, ore or other products with a s ...

and forfeitures imposed for the commission of offenses against, or for the violation of the state laws.

Oath of office

The oath of office is administered by the Chief Judge of the state who is appointed by the Governor. The oath of office is carried out on the inaugural day of the new government in the state which is especially on the day of tenure expiration of the preceding government or otherwise stipulated by a Higher Court in Nigeria.

Qualification

The governor and deputy governor are directly elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms, and are limited to two consecutive terms, for a total of eight years. Qualifications required for an individual aspiring to become the Governor of Imo State is contained in section 177 of the 1999 Constitution. According to the constitution, an individual meeting the following eligibility criteria may serve as governor. The candidate must be: a. (35) years of age b. A citizen of Imo State by birth c. A member of a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

already registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with an endorsement by that

. d. School Certificate level or its equivalent

Removal from office

Although a governor is normally elected to serve a complete four-year term during the national elections, in exceptional cases, before a term of such four years expires, the officeholder may be replaced or removed as the case may be, through death, impeachment or if an election is annulled by a “competent” court of law or by a two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly. As seen in the case of

Emeka Ihedioha Emeka Ihedioha (born 24 March 1965) is a Nigerian politician and Businessman. Ihedioha is the governor with the shortest tenure in South Eastern Nigeria. He is the former Governor of Imo State and a former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of ...

Duties and functions

Executive powers

Legislative powers

Judicial powers

Oath of office

Qualification

Removal from office

Past and Incumbent governors

See also

External links

References