Protests and Missing Materials Disrupt Enugu South By-Election

Challenges and Delays in Enugu South By-Election

The by-election for the Enugu South Urban Constituency, scheduled to take place on Saturday, faced significant challenges that prevented it from proceeding as planned. Despite a large number of voters gathering at Uwani Secondary School, the designated polling unit, no ballots were cast by 3:20 p.m., leading officials to close the site and pack up their materials.

This failure came after INEC officials encountered difficulties in starting the voting process due to the absence of essential election materials, including result sheets. The situation quickly escalated into tension when a group of women staged protests, accusing politicians of interfering with the process. They demanded the disqualification of the Labour Party candidate, citing his criminal conviction.

The Labour Party candidate was sentenced to seven years in prison in July 2024 by an Enugu South Magistrates’ Court presided over by E.D. Onwu. He was convicted in connection with a N15 million community development fund scandal. However, the judgment is currently under appeal, adding further complexity to the situation.

Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, the Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner, expressed frustration over the lack of progress and urged all political stakeholders to act responsibly. "This is the fourth time this by-election has been attempted without success. I am pleading with all stakeholders to behave responsibly and allow us to conclude this process. The people of Enugu deserve a fair election," he said.

Sam Ngene, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, voiced his frustration over the delays, claiming that high-profile officials were disrupting the process. "If you look properly, there is strong mobilisation for this election. The problem is the infiltration of influential figures like the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and Senator Kevil Chukwu, who are interfering with the process," he said. He also emphasized that his opponent is currently in jail and that the constitution clearly states that a convict cannot contest an election.

Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, defended his presence at the polling unit, stating that he was acting in his capacity as the 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," he said. "The PDP cannot win this election. If the election is not concluded today, we will stay here until it is."

Chinwuba Ngwu, the Labour Party Chairman in Enugu South, criticized the lack of progress and transparency. "We have been here since 7 a.m. There is no accreditation, no voting, and no information from INEC. We are in the dark," he said.

The seat has remained vacant since the State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified the March 18, 2023, election results and ordered a rerun in eight polling units, which together have 4,618 registered voters. In the original poll, Bright Ngene was declared the winner with 5,862 votes, defeating runner-up Sam Ngene by over 2,000 votes.

INEC has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the inconclusive by-election, which marks the fourth failed attempt to conduct a vote in the constituency. Previous attempts took place on February 3, February 14, and June 8, 2024. The repeated failures have raised concerns about the stability and integrity of the electoral process in the region.