Newscenter Media News There was a show of solidarity at the weekend for the imprisoned presumed winner of the Enugu South Urban Constituency election in Enugu State, Bright Ngene, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stormed the Nigerian Correctional Service to seek his release.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ngene, a Labour Party (LP) candidate, winner of the 2023 House of Assembly election in the area with over 5,000 votes and was sworn in.
His victory was, however, cut short following the nullification of results from eight polling booths by the Appeal Tribunal, which also ordered rerun in the affected booths. The nullification was based on the petition from the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, Sam Ngene.
INEC had on three occasions, fixed the rerun election and had failed on each occasion; a development that prompted Bright Ngene to insist that he should be declared winner since he still possessed the highest number of valid votes in the exercise.
Last month, however, an Enugu Magistrate, D.D Onwu, relied on a case that had allegedly been in court since 2017 to pronounce him guilty of stealing and mismanagement of funds belonging to his community, and thrown him into prison. Onwu had sentenced him to seven years.
Condemning how the trial was held, and the alleged state backing to it, the state Chairman of the APC in Enugu, Ugochukwu Agballah, stated that the party would do all in its power to secure justice for Ngene, ensuring his mandate is restored.
He stated that though Bright Ngene is not a member of the APC, they decided to show solidarity because “injustice to one is injustice to another,” alleging that his incarceration was due to his demand for his mandate.
Agballah stated that the party would not only appeal the judgment but would petition President Bola Tinubu on what he described as a “miscarriage of justice and attempt to force the candidate to abandon his mandate.
Agballah also stated that the party would resist any attempt by the INEC to conduct the rerun election for the constituency until Bright Ngene secures his freedom.
Meanwhile, while the state Chairman of the PDP, Augustine Nnamani, had earlier denied involvement of the party and state government in the matter, he explained: “It is the kinsmen of Bright Ngene that took him to court and prosecuted him for stealing”. Nnamani had asked those sympathetic about the matter to direct it to the community.”
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