The Enugu political space was thrown into tension Saturday as the PDP candidate, Sam Ngene, accused the Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, of disrupting the ongoing by-election in Enugu South Urban constituency with hoodlums; an allegation the minister swiftly denied.
The by-election followed a prolonged legal and political battle. The seat has been vacant since the State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified the March 18, 2023 election results and ordered a re-run in eight polling units with a total of 4,618 registered voters.
The first attempt at the rerun, on February 3, 2024, was botched amid disputes over alleged missing original result sheets. The second attempt, on February 14, 2024, failed to hold after violence broke out, with both parties trading blames. The third attempt, on June 8, 2024, was postponed indefinitely—until today’s exercise.
The election has effectively become a contest between Labour Party candidate, Bright Ngene, who was sworn into the Assembly in 2023 but is currently in prison over a community-related matter, and PDP candidate, Sam Ngene, a former member of the House of Assembly.
PDP Candidate Raises Alarm
Speaking to reporters at his polling unit, PDP’s Sam Ngene alleged that the exercise was being hijacked by political heavyweights.
“We are here as PDP to conduct this election because we know that this is my stronghold, this is my ward, and my polling unit is one of the places that had this problem,” Ngene said.
“The first time, it was Senator Kelvin Chukwu from Nkanu West and some other people who were not supposed to be here. They disrupted this election. The second time, the same thing happened. This third time again, we are announcing that the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Uche Nnaji, is also here, and I am wondering why he came. He came in here with hoodlums, with intimidation, disrupting this election and making sure that it does not hold.”
Ngene also raised questions about the credibility of the process, pointing to the eligibility of one of his rivals.
“Ask yourself, who are we even contesting with? Somebody is behind bars for fraudulent activity—convicted and sentenced—and he is still on the ballot. Is that supposed to be so? The answer is no. The constitution is very clear: if you are convicted or if you are an ex-convict, you cannot stand for any election. You can’t even vote. You have lost your freedom completely,” he said.
Minister Uche Nnaji Responds
Also speaking to newsmen at the venue, Minister Uche Nnaji dismissed the allegations, insisting that his presence at the polling unit was legitimate as the leader of APC in Enugu State.
“I am an APC man, and that is why I was appointed. I remain an APC man. I am the leader of APC in the state, and on that basis, I am the polling unit agent of APC. You can see my tag, so I am here rightfully,” Nnaji told journalists.
The minister denied bringing hoodlums to the venue, stressing that he was accompanied only by security personnel.
“I don’t carry hoodlums. I carry policemen, army, and DSS—people that are friendly to the public, people that are law-abiding, people mandated by law to protect lives and property. That is what I use,” he said.
REC Appeals for Calm
Reacting to the growing tension, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, appealed for restraint and urged stakeholders to allow the electoral process to conclude peacefully.
“You can see the good number of political bigwigs present here today from the PDP, APC, and Labour Party. Many people are here, either to vote or to observe. However, according to one of our Corps members presiding over this election, some voters are saying they will not cast their votes unless the candidate currently in prison; who they allege isn’t constitutionally qualified is disqualified from contesting,” Dr. Chukwu said.
“So, I am pleading with members of the public and the good people of Enugu to kindly allow us to conclude this process today. This is my prayer. Let all of us conduct ourselves properly, regardless of our positions in society. This is the fourth time we are coming out for this election, and I am appealing to everyone to cooperate.”
The REC further expressed concern over the unusual crowd at the polling centre.
“I honestly do not know why this place is even this crowded; it is not supposed to be so. Therefore, I am pleading with all stakeholders in Enugu State; let us not create problems in this election. Please, that is my prayer and my request,” he said.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama