The Enugu South Urban Constituency by-election had yet to begin as of 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, despite a significant voter turnout at Uwani Secondary School, the designated polling centre.
Tensions rose on the ground as a group of women staged protests, accusing politicians of interfering with the electoral process. Their primary demand was the disqualification of Labour Party (LP) candidate Bright Ngene, citing his criminal conviction.
In July 2024, an Enugu South Magistrates’ Court sentenced Ngene to seven years in prison over a N15 million community development fund scandal. The case, initially filed in 2017 by the Enugu State Police Command, involved two other co-defendants.
The delay in voting triggered frustration among candidates and party leaders. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Sam Ngene condemned the situation, blaming external political interference.
“There’s strong mobilisation here, but we’re seeing obvious infiltration. The presence of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and Senator Kelvin Chukwu is causing unnecessary tension,” Sam Ngene told reporters. “I’m being made to contest against someone who is a convicted criminal. The constitution clearly disqualifies convicts from running for office.”
Minister Uche Nnaji, however, defended his presence, stating he was fulfilling his role as the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in Enugu State.
“As a minister from Enugu, I must ensure that due process is followed. Every party that was on the ballot during the initial election is represented today. PDP’s panic shows they fear transparency,” Nnaji asserted.
Local LP chairman Chinwuba Ngwu expressed disappointment with the lack of activity at the polling unit.
“We’ve been here since 7 a.m., yet INEC has made no announcements. There’s no accreditation, no voting, nothing. We demand answers,” Ngwu said, pointing toward visible unease among party representatives and voters.
As of press time, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not issued any official statement regarding the delay or the concerns raised by stakeholders.
