Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State on Sunday doused the controversy over the alleged inauguration of an Emir in Imo State, saying the man that visited him was an imam, a native of Mbaise and a relation of ex-governor Emeka Ihedioha.

Uzodinma made the clarification in an interview with journalists during the first plenary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of 2020 in Abuja.

He said, “The visit by the Muslim community in Imo State to me was a welcomed one. The new imam is a native of Mbaise, not a northerner. He is a relation of Emeka Ihedioha. I am a governor of both Christians and Muslims.

“So, we should shun everything that will bring division in society. There are more people from the East that are also Muslims and some Muslims were born in the East and do not know any other place apart from the East. So, it is left for government to devise a means that will accommodate everybody.”