By Emmanuel Egobiambu

President Bola Tinubu and ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo were among the top dignitaries at the inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State for a second term in office.

Tinubu, who was earlier at an event in Abuja for the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, landed at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri around 1 pm on Monday.

He was accompanied by some government officials and was welcomed by Uzodimma and other Imo leaders.

Obasanjo was also spotted at the event at the Dan Anyiam Stadium alongside other dignitaries.

The Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas also attended the event. The Anambra governor Charles Soludo was represented by his deputy Onyekachi Ibezim.

Despite the sit-at-home event in the South-East, residents of Imo State shunned it and trooped out en masse for the swearing-in event. They wore colourful attire as they marched through the streets to the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

Monday’s inauguration came about two months after Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won a second term in office, defeating his closest rivals Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP)’s Athan Achonu.

The governor got 540,308 votes, the PDP candidate secured 71, 503 votes, and Nneji Achonu polled 64,081 votes.