Keep up with latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing, follow our WhatsApp channel for more update. Click to Follow us

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chapter in Enugu State has celebrated the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Mr. Bright Ngene, winning the recent bye-election for the Enugu South 1 Constituency.

In a statement provided to journalists in Enugu over the weekend and signed by APC state chairman Barr Ugochukwu Agballah, the party also thanked Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, for his participation in the bye-election, which it claimed prevented any kind of manipulation by certain vested political interests.

In a similar spirit, the APC thanked the Enugu South Executive of both the APC and the LP, as well as Sen. Kelvin Chukwu of the LP, who represented the Enugu East senatorial district; Hon. Chimobi Atu of the APC, who represented the Enugu North-Enugu South Federal Constituency; and Hon. Paul Nnamchi, who represented the Enugu East-Isuizo Federal Constituency.

In an update signed by Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Ngene’s return came after his announcement on Tuesday, August 19.

Olumekun 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.”

In eight polling stations with 4,616 registered voters, INEC recorded zero votes for all the parties that took part in the August 16 botched rerun election in Enugu, according to insider sources. Bright Ngene was declared the winner of the election after receiving 5,862 votes, compared to 2000 votes for his closest rival, Mr. Sam Ngene of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His announcement ends the drama that has accompanied each attempt to carry out the repeat in eight voting places, as mandated by an Appeal Court.

Agballah, the chairman of the Enugu state APC, congratulated Bright Ngene, who remains incarcerated, and praised Chief Nnaji and all honorable men and women who kept their ground and prevented manipulation of the August 16 rerun poll.

“What happened in Enugu State shows that Enugu people will no longer tolerate election rigging. The rigging of 2003 is the last rigging that will happen in the state.

“I celebrate with Bright Ngene because I have been a victim of rigging myself. In 2003 and 2007, I was popularly elected as Governor of Enugu state but I was rigged out by the same forces, who continued to rig elections afterwards.

“In 2023, the Labour Party won the governorship election but they were rigged out. Therefore, the only way we can defend the franchise of the people is that everybody must join hands. What happened in Enugu South is what we should do; people should come out in their thousands and defend their franchise irrespective of party affiliation,” he claimed.

In addition to supporting him in defending his mandate, the APC chairman promised Bright Ngene that the party would support him in his legal fight for freedom so that he could take over the seat that has been empty for more than two years as a result of the drawn-out electoral battle.

As a Christian and a man who has held a number of positions, Agballah urged Mr. Sam Ngene, the PDP candidate who finished far behind, to not view the victory as the end of his life but to congratulate the victor and move on, telling him that there are still opportunities for him tomorrow.

“You have fought relentlessly like the David you are but now that the battle is over, I encourage you to take a step of statesmanship and congratulate your brother Bright Ngene,” he said.

Recall that LP’s Bright Ngene was recently sentenced to seven years in prison by an Enugu South Magistrates’ Court, which was presided over by E. D. Onwu, due to an alleged community development fund controversy.

However, a lot of people think that his situation is political and related to the House of Assembly seat.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.