Why We Postponed Enugu Constituency Rerun Election – INEC 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has affirmed that the rescheduled rerun election for the Enugu South 1 State Constituency was deferred due to security challenges.

Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, informed journalists in Enugu yesterday that the rescheduled election was cancelled early last week due to security issues.

Chukwu revealed that the rerun election, which was fixed after stakeholders’ engagements to be held on June 8, would hold on a further date to be communicated by the commission.

Last week, the fixed rerun election was shifted and duly communicated to all key stakeholders with a clear reason for the postponement.

“I am surprised that some have been misled by unfounded rumours regarding the commission. These rumours falsely allege that the election was conducted in secrecy, a claim demonstrably untrue as evidenced by this very conversation,” Chukwu added.

According to journalists, Mr. Bright Ngene, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the State House of Assembly, was proclaimed the winner of the March 18, 2023, election and was inaugurated, but the election was invalidated by the tribunal for being inconclusive.

This is the third attempt by INEC to hold the election.

At 7:00 am on Saturday, voters had assembled in the concerned polling units, but no personnel of the INEC were seen at the place.

Mr. Ngene, the LP candidate for the election, who was at the polling centre, expressed dissatisfaction over the development.

He informed newsmen that there was no recent information available to him and his party that the election would not hold.

Mr. Sam Ngene, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, however confirmed that the deferral was duly communicated to his party.