The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Nestor Ezeme, alleged that the election was marred by widespread violence, intimidation, and attempts at manipulation.

He contrasted this with his belief that he was enjoying strong voter support across the six local government areas of the district, expressing confidence that the poll would result in a decisive victory for him.

According to Ezeme, feedback from different parts of the senatorial district suggested a landslide in his favour.

However, despite his optimism, Ezeme insisted that the process was being undermined by alleged interference from government officials.

He accused local government chairmen, commissioners, and other political appointees of moving between polling units in an attempt to influence voting outcomes.

He also alleged that violence occurred at Ofu Ogu Polling Unit in Ovoko Ward, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, where the PDP local chairman was reportedly attacked and seriously injured.

He claimed the victim was hospitalized and in critical condition. Ezeme further stated that some motorcycles belonging to PDP supporters were destroyed during the incident and warned that election results could still be tampered with at the collation stage

In contrast, the Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) in Enugu State presented a more positive assessment.

Its chairman, Dr. Afam Ani, described the election as generally peaceful in most areas observed, noting that only minor incidents were recorded.

He acknowledged that voter turnout varied across locations but said participation was largely encouraging overall.

Ani, however, accused the PDP of electoral misconduct, alleging that individuals were found using forged party agent identification tags during the poll.

He said one suspect was apprehended at a polling unit and handed over to the police after the tags were said to lack official INEC security features.

He added that while there was an initial delay in distributing election materials due to disagreements among stakeholders, the issue was quickly resolved and did not disrupt the process significantly.

The bye-election was marked by competing narratives of violence, malpractice claims, and assertions of peaceful conduct.