Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma
Claim: A news report claims that the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, sponsored the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), seven Heads of Department, and 27 Electoral Officers on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem starting January 20, 2026.
Full Text
On January 19, 2026, a report on SaharaReporters claims that Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State had bankrolled a religious trip to Jerusalem for the top hierarchy of the state’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The headline reads, “BREAKING: Governor Hope Uzodimma Sponsors Imo REC, 27 Electoral Officers On Pilgrimage To Jerusalem”.
The report stated that the delegation, led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Sylvia Agu, included three Heads of Department and all 27 Electoral Officers (EOs) in the state.
According to the report, the group was scheduled to depart on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, following a formal send-off at the Government House Chapel in Owerri.
Screenshot of the claim on the SaharaReporters website
Also, the claim raised significant concerns regarding the independence of the electoral body, especially given Uzodimma’s appointment for the Renewed Hope Ambassador campaign structure to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The claim was found on Facebook here, here and here.
We are fact-checking this claim due to the personalities involved and the impact of misinformation on the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria.
Verification
We conducted a Google search for keywords. The result shows that credible news media organisations in Nigeria did not report such an incident, although we could find the claim across social media platforms.
We found that SaharaReporters reported on January 20 that the pilgrimage was cancelled after its January 19 story on the allegedly sponsored pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
The story reads in part: “Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State have reportedly cancelled a planned pilgrimage to Jerusalem after a SaharaReporters investigation revealed that Governor Hope Uzodimma sponsored the trip.
According to findings, Uzodimma had gifted each official $20,000 to facilitate the journey.
“The Imo State Governor already gave each of them $20,000,” a source privy to the arrangement told SaharaReporters.
“A top source familiar with the development told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that the foreign trip, which was to involve senior INEC officials in the state, had been abruptly called off after the report generated controversy and public scrutiny”.
We checked Governor Uzodimma’s official Facebook page and his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku’s account. Such a claim was not found.
As of January 29, 2026, neither the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja nor the Imo State Government has issued an official statement to confirm or deny the sponsorship.
Violation Of Code Of Conduct
Accepting sponsorship from a sitting governor, who is a major stakeholder in future elections, is a direct violation of the Code of Conduct for INEC Officials.
The code requires staff to maintain strict neutrality and avoid any material or financial ties to political actors that could create a perception of bias.
However, there is not enough publicly available evidence to prove whether the claim is true or false.
Despite no available information to validate/invalidate the allegation, it is worthy of mention that the Nigerian governments (both federal and state) have subsidised or sponsored religious pilgrimages, including Hajj and Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem or other holy sites.
However, the extent and nature of that sponsorship vary, and it is not a constitutional requirement but a practice some governments have adopted.
Evidence of this can be found here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion
The claim that Governor Hope Uzodimma sponsored a Jerusalem pilgrimage for the Imo REC and 27 electoral officers is unproven.
Also, there is no available information to confirm or debunk the allegation, which emanated from a single source.
Until further evidence emerges or official responses are issued by the Imo State Government or INEC, the allegation remains an unsubstantiated report.
Moderated and edited by Timothy Bamidele and Williams Osewezina
