Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has reportedly sponsored the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), seven Heads of Department, and 27 Electoral Officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Sources within INEC confirmed to SaharaReporters on Monday that the religious trip is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

According to the sources, the officials are expected to gather at the Government House Chapel by 12 noon on Tuesday for prayers and a formal send-off ceremony. Afterward, the delegation will proceed to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, at about 3:00pm.

The group is scheduled to depart for Jerusalem by 10:00pm the same day.

“The REC, seven Heads of Department, and 27 Electoral Officers will leave Imo State for Jerusalem tomorrow night on a pilgrimage sponsored by Governor Hope Uzodimma,” a source disclosed.

Another source corroborated the arrangement, noting that all logistics for the trip had been finalized under the governor’s sponsorship.

“They will assemble at the Government House Chapel by noon, proceed to the airport by 3pm, and depart for Jerusalem by 10pm,” the source said.

The development has raised concerns in political circles, especially amid ongoing debates around electoral independence and political patronage in Nigeria.

Recall that on December 3, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that President Bola Tinubu presented luxury vehicles—including Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs, Toyota Hilux trucks, and Hummer buses—to state coordinators of a new political mobilisation platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Multiple sources said the vehicles were distributed under the Renewed Hope Ambassadors initiative, a nationwide political structure reportedly spearheaded by Governor Uzodimma.

According to insiders, the handover took place in Abuja, where coordinators were also briefed on funding strategies for the 2027 presidential campaign.

“Each state was asked to contribute ₦1 billion to the Renewed Hope Ambassadors’ campaign purse for Asiwaju’s 2027 bid,” a source said, adding that Uzodimma serves as the Director General of the initiative.

Another source claimed President Tinubu’s public endorsement of Uzodimma as a key figure in the Renewed Hope campaign was intentional and linked to the broader political mobilisation strategy.

Observers have criticised the timing of such expenditures, describing them as disconnected from the economic realities facing ordinary Nigerians and questioning priorities amid pressing national security and economic challenges.