INEC Declares LP Candidate, a Prison Inmate, Winner of Assembly Election Rerun

By Peter Dansu  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Bright Ngene, a candidate of the Labour Party (LP) who i...

By Peter Dansu 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Bright Ngene, a candidate of the Labour Party (LP) who is currently serving a jail term, as the winner of the Enugu South 1 State Constituency rerun election. The election was held on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Ngene, a lawyer by profession, is serving his sentence at the Enugu Correctional Facility. His conviction dates back to 2017 when an Enugu South Magistrates Court presided over by Magistrate E. D. Onwu found him guilty in a N15 million community development funhttps://www.badagrytoday.com/2025/08/inec-declares-lp-candidate-prison.htmld case. He was arraigned alongside two others by the Enugu State Police Command.

Despite his imprisonment, the Labour Party fielded him for the rerun, and he emerged victorious. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Samuel Olumeku, confirmed his win in a statement.

“Two rerun elections ordered by the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals were held in Enugu and Kano States. After previous disruptions caused by violence and thuggery, both elections were concluded, and the Returning Officers declared and returned winners. For the Enugu South 1 State Constituency, Ngene Bright Emeka of the Labour Party was declared winner,” Olumeku said.

The INEC spokesperson in Enugu, Rex Achumie, who also oversees voter education, further confirmed Ngene’s victory in the rerun when contacted, Leadership newspaper report says