Enugu North Bye-Election Plunges into Chaos: Violence, BVAS Failures and Thuggery Reported

The recent Enugu North Senatorial District bye-election was severely marred by widespread reports of violence, voter intimidation, and significant attacks on party agents, with incidents recorded across several local government areas including Nsukka, Igbo-Eze South, and Udenu. Opposition parties vehemently accused political thugs and influential figures of orchestrating these attacks on their members and deliberately disrupting the electoral process in a desperate attempt to manipulate the election's outcome.

One of the most disturbing incidents involved a Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) agent, popularly known as "Nwa Naija," who was reportedly shot after resisting a ballot box snatching operation. This critical event occurred in Ihe Obukpa Ward of Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area. A video circulating on social media showed the injured party agent receiving treatment in a hospital shortly after the incident. Political commentator Senator Chijinkem Ugwuanyi stated in a social media post that Nwa Naija was attacked by armed thugs after attempting to prevent the hijacking of election materials, specifically attributing the violence to efforts to counter anticipated losses for the PRP senatorial candidate, Dr. Ugo Ugwuanyi. The injured agent was rushed to a hospital in the nearby Ovoko community for treatment. Senator Ugwuanyi further alleged that some individuals from the local Obukpa community were behind these attacks, lamenting the fratricidal nature of political violence.

Amidst these violent occurrences, other forms of voter intimidation were also rampant. SaharaReporters obtained a video showing a man identified by residents as an All Progressives Congress (APC) political thug openly instructing voters at the Eluagu Obukpa Polling Unit in Obukpa Ward to leave if they were unwilling to cast their votes for the ruling party's candidate. The man was overheard declaring, "Anybody who is not voting for APC should leave the polling unit. I have told them. If you are not voting APC, leave this polling unit, whether you like it or not." This footage ignited widespread outrage among residents and opposition supporters, who condemned it as a blatant attempt to intimidate voters and undermine the credibility of the entire electoral exercise.

Beyond intimidation and violence, the election also faced significant technical glitches and logistical challenges. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) reportedly failed to capture the APC candidate, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, at his polling unit at Iheaka Central School in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, despite repeated attempts by electoral officials and a large turnout of voters. This malfunction sparked concerns among his party supporters, though voting continued at the unit. Asogwa himself expressed dissatisfaction with the incident.

Further irregularities included an alleged attempt to snatch election materials by a man identified as "Okadigbo," described by some residents as a known political thug, at Umuokara Village Hall in Orba, Udenu Local Government Area. While witnesses claimed he attempted to make away with a result sheet, the Presiding Officer at the polling unit denied the allegation, insisting the result sheet remained secure. Logistical issues also plagued the election, with voting yet to commence in several communities across Udenu Local Government Area—the home local government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Nestor Ezeme—due to the non-arrival of election materials. Affected areas included parts of Orba, Imilike, Udunedem, and even the polling centre of former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at Amube Orba, where materials had not arrived by mid-morning, raising concerns about voter disenfranchisement.

Dr. Ezeme, who eventually cast his vote around 11:45 a.m. at his Umundu polling unit, expressed grave concern over the reports of electoral violence and the widespread late arrival of election materials, describing the situation as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters. He lamented that voting commenced late in numerous areas, noting that some polling units in his strongholds had yet to receive election materials even at noon. He specifically mentioned Inland Primary School 2 and the health centre in Ogwu Obollo as areas severely affected. The PDP candidate further alleged that hoodlums disrupted the electoral process in parts of Obollo Afor, claiming that election materials were carted away. He asserted that these actions were driven by a lack of popularity, aiming to disrupt the system, but expressed confidence in his eventual victory.

These controversies further intensified scrutiny of the APC candidate, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, whose campaign was already overshadowed by renewed public attention to allegations of misconduct during his tenure as Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB). Reports from June 15 highlighted the resurfacing of allegations that Asogwa orchestrated the public assault and humiliation of a serving Permanent Secretary, Mr. Onagu Ogbodo, in 2017. Petitions submitted to the Enugu State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and Extra-Judicial Killings detailed Ogbodo's account of being physically assaulted by Asogwa and his armed police escorts, resulting in him being slapped, kicked, beaten with rifle butts, and stripped in public within the ENSUBEB headquarters.