The long-drawn Enugu South rerun election reached a climax on Tuesday after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC Enugu) declared Labour Party candidate Bright Ngene winner of the Enugu State House of Assembly seat, ending months of uncertainty.
Tribunal-Ordered Rerun and Cancelled Units
Why was a rerun ordered in the first place? In the 18 March 2023 State Assembly election, Labour Party (LP) candidate Bright Ngene was declared winner with 5,862 votes, defeating runner-up Sam Ngene of the PDP by more than 2,000 votes.
However, the State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified the result, ruling that the poll was inconclusive. It ordered a rerun in eight polling units with a combined total of 4,618 registered voters.
Four Failed Attempts to Vote
The rerun failed to hold on four occasions. The most recent disruption on August 16 once again left voters angered, fueling deep voter frustration in Enugu.
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| February 3, 2025 | Aborted |
| February 14, 2025 | Aborted |
| June 8, 2025 | Did not hold |
| August 16, 2025 | Collapsed again |
Resident Electoral Commissioner Chukwuemeka Chukwu admitted the situation had become “abnormal,” noting: “This is the fourth time we are coming here for this purpose.”
Labour leaders however accused INEC of deliberately leaving voters in the dark.
Why is the LP candidate controversial?
In July 2024, Bright Ngene was sentenced to seven years in prison by an Enugu South Magistrates’ Court over a ₦15m community fund case.
From prison, he has remained at the center of the rerun saga. Labour argues that:
- The conviction is under appeal, so Ngene is not yet an ex-convict.
- The ballot is for the party, not just the candidate.
- The repeated postponements were deliberate efforts to weaken Labour’s position.
Political Drama and Accusations
The repeated election postponement triggered protests and counter-claims. The All Progressives Congress (APC) was accused of deliberately frustrating the process. Some observers claimed that Enugu APC leader, Uche Nnaji, was using the party’s federal connections to stall the rerun. Analysts described it as part of the APC role in Enugu politics, though the party has denied any involvement or wrongdoing.
On its own, the PDP insisted that the Labour candidate, serving a July 2024 prison sentence over a ₦15m fund case, should not feature on the ballot. In response to this claim, LP’s Enugu South chairman, Chiwuba Ngwu, said that, technically, the imprisoned candidate was not on the ballot.
“You cannot be talking about the candidate (being on the ballot) when what you have on the ballot is the party,” he explained.
Meanwhile, debates around the APC role in Enugu politics intensified amid allegations and denials over attempts to stall voting.
What is the PDP’s position?
The PDP, led by candidate Sam Ngene, insists that Labour’s jailed candidate should not be allowed to contest. At the August 16 rerun attempt, PDP supporters carried placards demanding Ngene’s disqualification.
Sam Ngene also accused Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, of bringing thugs to the venue to stall the vote.
Where does the APC come in?
The APC is not a strong contender in this constituency. However, it has aligned with Labour in blocking PDP’s path to victory. Analysts say the party is using the crisis to weaken PDP in Enugu, while Uche Nnaji may be testing the ground for a 2027 governorship bid.
INEC’s Final Decision
With a fourth failure and no new voting, INEC Enugu announced on Tuesday that it had decided to declare results using the earlier vote tally—without the cancelled eight polling units.
That move returned Labour Party candidate Bright Ngene as the official winner of the Enugu State House of Assembly seat for Enugu South.
Who gains from INEC’s Tuesday decision?
- Labour Party: Regains its seat in the State Assembly despite its candidate being in prison.
- PDP: Loses a rerun it hoped would close the gap, despite protests over Ngene’s eligibility.
- APC: Scores political points by weakening PDP, though it gained little electorally in the race.
- Voters: Left confused after four failed attempts, only to see INEC revert to the original results.
What Next?
The declaration may not end the controversy, however. Observers expect the PDP candidate Sam Ngene to pursue an appeal, keeping alive legal uncertainties even as the tribunal ruling hangs over the constituency.
Labour will celebrate the return of its seat.
For Enugu South Urban, the long-delayed rerun has ended not at the ballot box, but through INEC’s declaration — ensuring the constituency’s representation in the Assembly remains mired in controversy.