Governor Hope Uzodimma has stirred controversy by sponsoring a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State.
Details obtained exclusively by SaharaReporters show that the sponsored delegation includes the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Professor Sylvia Agu, three departmental heads, and 27 electoral officers drawn from across the state’s local government areas.
According to insiders familiar with the arrangement, the group is scheduled to depart Imo State on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, for the sacred journey. The delegation will gather at the Government House Chapel by midday, where a send-off prayer service and formal farewell are planned before their evening departure.
Therefore, leading the delegation is Prof. Sylvia Agu, the REC for Imo State, who will be accompanied by several senior INEC officials, including, “Esther Okorie—Head of Department (Operations), Barrister Onyinye Nwankwo—Acting Head of Department (Legal) and Agnes Elukpo—Acting Head of Department (ICT) .”
The 27 electoral officers selected for the trip, each representing a different local government area, include, “Ukelegharanya Edna (Aboh Mbaise), Uche Asagwara (Ahiazu Mbaise), Ugo Blessing (Obowo), Obetta Chinyere (Oru East), Anioma Honour (Ihitte Uboma), Ohabuiro Henry (Onuimo), Nweze Elizabeth (Isiala Mbano), Wendy Preye Ahumibe (Ideato South), Ogbuishi Robinson (Ngor Okpala), Kene Ezeabasili (Owerri North)…and many others from constituencies across the state, including Nkwerre, Ehime Mbano, Ikeduru, Oguta, and Owerri West.”
The decision by a sitting state governor to underwrite the travel of senior INEC officials has ignited debate about electoral independence in a politically sensitive state. By law, INEC is expected to operate free from executive influence to maintain credibility in the electoral process, and critics argue that such sponsorships could be construed as compromising that independence.
“INEC, by law, is expected to operate independently of executive influence,” the report noted, highlighting concerns that accepting gifts or sponsored travel from major political stakeholders might weaken public confidence in electoral neutrality.
Insiders said the delegation will first meet at the Government House Chapel for prayers and a formal send-off ceremony at noon on Tuesday. The electoral officers will then move to Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri around 3 p.m. before departing for Jerusalem by approximately 10 p.m. the same day.
A source said, “The REC, 7 Heads of Department, [and] 27 Electoral Officers will leave Imo State for Jerusalem tomorrow by 10 pm for pilgrimage, sponsored by Hope Uzodimma.”
Analysts say the sponsorship has political overtones, particularly within a state that has seen sharp contestations over election results in recent years. Imo’s electoral landscape has been deeply contested, and the neutrality of electoral officials remains a sensitive and heavily scrutinised issue for voters and civil society groups alike.
While supporters of the governor defend religious pilgrimages as personal and spiritual undertakings, others argue that the optics of state-funded trips for electoral officials could feed narratives of political patronage and influence. Civil society advocates have stressed the need for strict adherence to the independence of electoral institutions to preserve democratic processes.
