…as protesting women allege LP candidate had been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Magistrates’ Court in Enugu South.
ENUGU, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | For the fourth time in under a year, the Enugu South Urban Constituency by-election failed to hold on Saturday, dashing voters’ hopes yet again and intensifying political tensions in the state.
Despite a sizeable voter turnout at Uwani Secondary School, the designated polling venue, not a single vote was cast by 3:20 p.m., prompting officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pack up and close the polling unit.
Earlier in the day, INEC staff were seen at the venue but were unable to commence voting due to the unavailability of sensitive materials, including result sheets, raising fresh questions about the electoral body’s preparedness and independence.
Frustration spilled into chaos when a group of women staged a protest, calling for the disqualification of the Labour Party (LP) candidate over an alleged criminal conviction.
According to them, the LP candidate had been sentenced in July 2024 to seven years in prison by a Magistrates’ Court in Enugu South for misappropriating N15 million earmarked for community development. The judgment, however, is currently under appeal.
INEC’s Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, expressed dismay over the stalemate.
“This is the fourth time the Enugu South by-election has been attempted without success,” Chukwu said. “I am pleading with all stakeholders to behave responsibly and allow us to conclude this process. The people of Enugu South deserve a fair election.”
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sam Ngene, echoed the frustration and blamed political interference from top officials for the repeated failure.
“There is strong mobilisation for this election, but the presence of influential figures like the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and Senator Kevil Chukwu is a disruption,” Ngene said.
“My opponent is behind bars. The constitution is clear: a convict cannot contest an election.”
However, Minister Uche Nnaji, who was present at the polling unit, rejected the accusations, insisting that he was there in his capacity as leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State.
“I have a right to be here because I am the leader of my party in the state,” Nnaji said defiantly.
“The PDP cannot win this election. If the election is not concluded today, we will stay here until it is.”
Also voicing discontent was Chinwuba Ngwu, LP Chairman in Enugu South, who lamented INEC’s silence and failure to provide direction.
“We have been here since 7 a.m. There is no accreditation, no voting, and no information from INEC. We are in the dark,” Ngwu said.
The seat became vacant after the Enugu State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified the March 18, 2023, election and ordered a rerun in eight polling units with 4,618 registered voters. In the original election, LP’s Bright Ngene was declared winner with 5,862 votes, defeating PDP’s Sam Ngene by over 2,000 votes.
Saturday’s inconclusive attempt follows three previously aborted efforts on February 3, February 14, and June 8, 2024.
