The Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denounced the Labour Party (LP) for alleging that the state government, led by the PDP, orchestrated the conviction of LP candidate Bright Ngene.

The LP had claimed that the conviction was politically motivated and part of a broader effort to disenfranchise the party.

The ruling party said that the "Labour Party should bury its head in shame for fielding a criminal as its candidate”.

SaharaReporters reported on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 that the Enugu State chapter of the Labour Party had condemned the detention of Ngene, who was jailed for seven years by Magistrate Onwu of Enugu South Magisterial district on Friday, June 28, 2024, over alleged conspiracy.

The LP described Ngene’s detention as politically motivated.

SaharaReporters reported on Friday June 28, 2024 that Magistrate Onwu had announced in open court that he was under instructions to conclude the case which he said had been pending in the state multi-door court for arbitration since 2017.

He said that the Chief Judge gave him the directive despite the pendency of a petition against him over the matter before the National Judicial Council.

Consequently, after hearing the case on June 27, the magistrate adjourned to Friday 28 for adoption, amid protest by the community which is the complainant in the case. The community complained about the magistrate's alleged bias in the case.

On Friday, Onwu, without the adoption of written addresses, handed over a seven-year jail term to Ngene without an option of a fine.

Reacting to the judgement in a statement jointly signed by the state chairman and publicity secretary, Mr Casmir Agbo and Onuora Odo, respectively, LP condemned the decision to jail Ngene.

According to the party, the move is to pave the way for Saturday's rerun election in his constituency.

The party, however, called on the NJC to intervene and stop legal profession from being ridiculed.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the state PDP chairman Mr Augustine Nnamani said the claims made by the LP over the conviction were a fallacy and unsubstantiated.

Nnamani blamed the LP candidate for his woes, adding that the convict being a lawyer deliberately ensured the case was delayed.

He said, “So, rather than attempting to whip up unnecessary sentiments, intimidate and smear the judiciary, and blackmail the Enugu State Government, the LP should actually bow their heads in shame that in such a high profile and star-studded constituency with a proven history of men and women of integrity, outstanding political leaders, intellectuals, and technocrats, who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavour, LP only found a man put on trial since 2017 by his own people for stealing their N15,750,000 as the most suitable candidate.

“Indeed, the fact that the court finally upheld the allegation of conspiracy and stealing against Ngene by his own people calls to question the votes he claimed to have obtained in the 2023 State House of Assembly.”

“How could the same people he has now been confirmed by the court to have stolen from have given him their votes in the first place?” he added.

Ngene won the Enugu South 1 Constituency of the Enugu State House of Assembly in the 2023 election on the platform of Labour Party.

However, the House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal later nullified his election and ordered a rerun in eight polling units but the rerun has been postponed twice.

SaharaReporters reported that the rerun election had been scheduled for Saturday, July 6, 2024. While the jailed Labour Party candidate is leading the PDP candidate with over 3,500 votes, the total number of voters in the eight polling units where the election would hold on Saturday are about 4000.