Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo State
Following the recent presentation of an Executive Bill to the Imo State House of Assembly by the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma on possible extension of local government officers’ tenure to four years and his sudden quietness in activating the House on the Bill, both chairmen and councilors are currently on a guessing game while September draws near.
Business Hilights South East Bureau chief recalls that Imo State Government had on September 2024 conducted Council election in the 27 Local Governments of the State, an election which the ruling APC won in the entire 27 Local Governments.
Although, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) had prior to the election declared the tenure to be two years which ordinarily should terminate by September 2026, the sending of a tenure elongation Bill and the subsequent silence are becoming worrisome of the local politicians after all.
Otherwise, all elected Chairmen and Councillors in Imo appear to be in dilemma over the actual date by which their tenure would terminate.
Political pundits in Imo say whereas the Governor’s action which however, generated some levels of happiness amongst the elected officers, has turned bad feelings considering the sudden cold feet applied by the same governor as it has become clear that even the State House of Assembly led by Rt. Hon Chike Olemgbe is yet to legislate on the said pending bill.
But the critical angle of the whole developing news is that whereas the incumbent Chairmen and Councillors were elated with the tenure elongation news, other Parties’ members were not at peace with the news as they had already planned the positions to contest for as soon as the two years tenure come to an end.
Already, Business Hilights reporter in Owerri gathered on a very strong note that ahead of 2027, some of the House of Assembly members had started bargaining for second term in their various Local Governments while supporting the incumbent Chairmen to run for a second term.
Even though available information tend to suggest that the Councillors and Chairmen who were on high hopes at hearing the proposed extension bill which they believed would help them gainer resources are now confused, the House had since one year ago yet to legislate on the new Bill, an executive bill for that matter.
Efforts to reach the Governor to comment on why the House had kept his latest Executive bill in the cooler failed even as one of his very close political confident confided in our correspondent that Governor’s plan for Imo Local Government development is massive from now till January 2028, when he will leave Douglas White House in Owerri as governor.
However, in a recent friendly novelty football match held on Friday, February 6, 2026, the Association of Local Government Chairmen (ALGON) defeated the Imo State House of Assembly (IMHA) with a score of 1–0.
The key details of the event are:
Occasion: The match was part of the activities marking Imo State’s Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary), dubbed Imo @ 50.
Venue: The game took place at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.
Kick-off: The ceremonial first kick was performed by the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma.
Outcome: The Local Government Chairmen emerged victorious in the friendly encounter, which was aimed at fostering camaraderie between the two arms of government.
Notable Attendees: The event saw the presence of high-ranking officials, including the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, and various political leaders
