By-Election: INEC Confirms LP’s Bright Ngene Winner Of Enugu Rerun Despite Jail Term

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Bright Ngene of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner of the rerun election for the Enugu South Urban Constituency of Enugu State, despite the candidate currently serving a seven-year jail term.

Naija News reports that INEC’s spokesperson, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the declaration in a statement released on Tuesday.

The rerun, held on August 16, 2025, was the fourth attempt at conducting the court-ordered exercise after the 2023 election was nullified in eight polling units.

Previous attempts since February 2024 had been marred by disruptions, violence, and thuggery.

“Two rerun 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,” Olumekun noted.

In Enugu, Ngene of the Labour Party polled the highest number of votes, defeating his closest rival, Sam Ngene of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Olumekun added: “For the Enugu South 1 State Constituency of Enugu State, Ngene Bright Emeka of the Labour Party (LP) was declared the winner.”

Certificates of Return, he said, would be presented to successful candidates on August 21 and 22, 2025, in Abuja and state offices, respectively.

Legal Battles and Repeated Victories

Ngene’s journey to reclaiming the seat has been tumultuous. He was first declared the winner of the election held on March 18, 2023, but his victory was nullified by a tribunal in September of that year.

The tribunal ordered a rerun within 90 days, following a petition by PDP’s Sam Ngene.

Despite winning multiple rerun elections, including one ordered by the Court of Appeal, the results were consistently cancelled, with the latest rerun also threatened by initial absence of sensitive election materials.

Conviction Amid Political Struggles

Complicating matters, Bright Ngene was convicted in July 2024 while still contesting the repeated rerun polls.

Naija News reports that an Enugu South Magistrate Court, presided over by E.D. Onwu, sentenced him to seven years in prison over a communal crisis in Akwuke community involving alleged theft of ₦15 million.

Ngene had been first arraigned in 2017 alongside two others, but the case was referred to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) until it was suddenly revived after his 2023 election victory.

Observers have since alleged that his prosecution and hurried conviction were politically motivated.

Despite his incarceration, Bright Ngene’s name remained on the ballot, and his consistent victories in every rerun have continued to generate heated debate over the interplay between politics, law, and justice in Enugu State.