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INEC DECLARES JAILED LABOUR PARTY CANDIDATE, BRIGHT NGENE, WINNER OF ENUGU SOUTH URBAN BYE-ELECTION
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has declared Hon. Bright Ngene of the Labour Party winner of Enugu South Urban constituency by-election.
Hon Bright Ngene is currently serving a seven-year jail term over a community-related matter, which some people considered was politically motivated.
The bye-election followed a prolonged legal and political battle. The seat has been vacant since the State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified the March 18, 2023 election results and ordered a rerun in eight polling units with a total of 4,618 registered voters.
The first attempt at the rerun, on February 3, 2024, was botched amid disputes over alleged missing original result sheets. The second attempt, on February 14, 2024, failed to hold after violence broke out, with both parties trading blames. The third attempt, on June 8, 2024, was postponed indefinitely—until the last failed attempt on August 16th
The election has effectively become a contest between the Labour Party candidate, Bright Ngene, who was sworn into the Assembly in 2023 and the PDP candidate, Sam Ngene, a former member of the House of Assembly.
However, INEC has gone ahead to make a return in the poll with the initial casted ballots.
The umpire in a statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee on Tuesday, said; “Two re-run elections by order of the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals were held in Enugu and Kano States. After previous disruptions of the elections in the two states by violence and thuggery, the elections have now been concluded. Declaration and return were made by the Returning Officers.
“For the Enugu South 1 State Constituency of Enugu State, Ngene Bright Emeka of the Labour Party (LP) was declared winner while Ya’u Garba Gwarmai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election in Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency of Kano State.”
