The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo has criticized Governor Hope Uzodimma for mismanaging the state’s resources.
In a statement on Thursday, Lancelot Obiaku, PDP’s publicity secretary in Imo, claimed that Uzodimma’s first term and the early part of his second term were marked by “economic mismanagement, insecurity, and a lack of transparency.”
The party highlighted Imo’s poor revenue generation, referencing data from the civic organization BudgIT. Obiaku pointed out that the state ranked between 26th and 36th in internally generated revenue (IGR) under Uzodimma, and was 32nd in the 2024 fiscal performance rankings.
He also revealed that Imo had the lowest value-added tax (VAT) revenue in Nigeria in 2024, generating only ₦235.41 million—nearly half of what the second-lowest state, Zamfara, generated.
“Under Uzodimma, Imo’s economy, trade, commerce, and Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) have worsened. The business environment has suffered due to insecurity and the government’s failure to regulate taxes, leading to multiple tax burdens on business owners,” Obiaku said.
Despite these challenges, the state continues to rank poorly in IGR, consistently falling between 26th and 36th, with a 32nd ranking in 2024. In addition, it recorded the lowest VAT revenue, generating just ₦235.41 million—only 0.2% of what Lagos generated.
In terms of transparency, accountability, and rule of law, the PDP called the governor’s record shameful, accusing him of reducing governance to a one-man operation and keeping state resources and opportunities under wraps.
The party also criticized Uzodimma for failing to appoint a chief judge after the position became vacant in November 2024, leaving cases unassigned. “The governor’s failure to appoint a chief judge has paralyzed the judicial system,” Obiaku said.
