Senatorial Candidate’s Murder: INEC Suspends Enugu East Election; To Hold 11th March

By Adesina Soyooye

Following the gruesome murder of Barrister Oyibo Chukwu, Labour Party’s Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has suspended the District’s Election billed for Saturday, February 25, 2023.

The National Assembly and Presidential Elections are billed to hold nationwide on Saturday, but Chukwu was gunned down on Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

He was on his way back home after the day’s campaign, but on getting to Amechi Awkunanaw, he was gunned down, along with five of his supporters while they were still inside the sienna vehicle they were riding in. Thereafter, they and the car were set ablaze.

Based on the tragic incident, INEC has postponed the Enugu East senatorial election.

Prof Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, disclosed the postponement at a Media briefing he held at the National Collation Centre in Abuja on Friday.

According to Yakubu the Labour Party has informed INEC of its intention to provide a replacement for  the poll at a later date.

The request by LP,  is in line with the provision of the law – Section 34, Sub-Section 1 of the Electoral Act 2022.

He said: “The Labour Party has provided satisfactory evidence of the death of its candidate. Consequently, the commission has suspended the election in the Senatorial district as provided by law.

“We have already communicated this decision to our Enugu State office. Therefore, there will be no Senatorial election in Enugu East Senatorial District made up of six Local Government Areas, 77 wards and 1,630 polling units tomorrow, February 25, 2023

“The election will now be combined with the Governorship and State Assemblies ’ elections holding in the next two weeks, on 11th of March 2023.”

He, also, said that the materials for the election in Enugu East will remain in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) till 11th March, 2023, the new date for the election.