In a dramatic turn of events, Bright Ngene, a Labour Party (LP) candidate currently serving a jail term, has been declared the winner of the rerun election for Enugu South 1 State Constituency. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed the result on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Ngene, a legal practitioner by profession, has been in Enugu Prison following a 2017 conviction tied to a ₦15 million community development fund case. Despite his incarceration, his party fielded him for the rerun election, and he emerged victorious against his opponents.
According to INEC’s national commissioner, Samuel Olumeku, the election was one of two reruns ordered by the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals in Enugu and Kano States. Previous attempts had been marred by violence, but the process was completed successfully this time, with Returning Officers declaring winners.
INEC’s spokesperson in Enugu, Rex Achumie, also confirmed Ngene’s victory, marking a rare political twist where a prison inmate now holds an electoral mandate. His win raises new questions about representation, legitimacy, and the intersection of law with Nigeria’s democratic process.
