In an unprecedented twist in Nigeria’s political landscape, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Bright Ngene of the Labour Party the winner of the Enugu South 1 State Constituency rerun election — even as he remains behind bars serving a seven-year prison sentence.
The announcement, made on Tuesday in a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, finally brought to an end years of electoral stalemate in the constituency. However, the victory has now ignited fresh controversy over the fate of a lawmaker-elect who cannot physically occupy his seat in the State Assembly.
Ngene’s triumph marks a dramatic end to repeated failed attempts to conduct the rerun ordered by the Court of Appeal. Four previous efforts collapsed, the latest on August 16, after polling officials failed to provide sensitive materials, sparking heated confrontations among party supporters at polling units.
Despite these disruptions, the Labour Party candidate secured a resounding win, defeating his closest rival, Sam Ngene of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by over 3,000 votes.
INEC confirmed:
> “For the Enugu South 1 State Constituency of Enugu State, Ngene Bright Emeka of the Labour Party (LP) was declared the winner.”
Ngene, however, is no ordinary victor. On July 28, 2024, an Enugu South Magistrates’ Court presided over by E. D. Onwu sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment over a lingering communal fund scandal. The case, which dates back to 2017, involved allegations of mismanagement of N15 million belonging to the Akwuke Community Development Fund.
Initially referred to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), the matter was suddenly revived after Ngene’s victory in the March 18, 2023 State Assembly election. Critics allege political interference in the revival, as Ngene had been serving as his community’s legal counsel when the case first arose.
He currently remains remanded at the Enugu prison, raising thorny constitutional and political questions about whether a convicted inmate can validly represent his constituency in the State Assembly.
Alongside Ngene’s dramatic win, INEC also declared Ya’u Garba Gwarmai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency rerun in Kano State.
Certificates of Return are scheduled to be issued between August 21 and 22, 2025. While National Assembly members-elect will receive theirs at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, State Assembly members-elect — including Ngene — are expected to collect theirs from their respective Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Ngene’s victory, while legally valid, sets the stage for a political showdown. Will the Enugu State House of Assembly allow a convicted lawmaker to be sworn in? Or will his seat be declared vacant, forcing yet another costly and chaotic election?
For residents of Enugu South, what was supposed to be the end of a prolonged electoral crisis may just be the beginning of a fresh political drama — one that places Nigeria’s democracy under the spotlight, testing its balance between law, justice, and the will of the people.
PIONEER NEWS 