…Alleges Irregularities in Bye-Election
Date: June 20, 2026
By Jane Daniel
ENUGU — The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s Enugu North Senatorial District bye-election, Nestor Chika Ezeme, has alleged widespread irregularities, voter intimidation and violence, claiming that the electoral process was deliberately compromised to disenfranchise voters.
Speaking with journalists after casting his vote, Ezeme expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the election, citing the late arrival of electoral materials, harassment of supporters and alleged manipulation of the voting process in parts of the senatorial district.
According to him, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and voting materials arrived at some polling units as late as 11 a.m., while voting reportedly commenced around 2 p.m.
“It’s been horrible. The process has been compromised. People came out as early as 7 a.m. to vote, but materials arrived very late. Many voters became discouraged and left,” he alleged.
The PDP candidate further accused some political actors of orchestrating violence and voter intimidation across several communities, alleging that ballot papers were diverted and manipulated.
He claimed that armed thugs invaded some polling units, fired gunshots, assaulted party supporters and disrupted the voting process, while security operatives allegedly arrested innocent voters.
“My supporters were harassed and beaten. Some escaped by whiskers. One of my campaign officials, Ernest Ugwu, was reportedly beaten severely. Yet our people remained resolute and determined to vote,” he said.
Ezeme also accused the chairman of a local government area in the zone of intimidation and interference throughout the election period.
Despite the alleged challenges, he maintained that voter turnout in his favour was impressive and expressed confidence of victory if the outcome reflected the will of the electorate.
“A lot of people came out en masse to vote for me. The feeling everywhere is that we are winning this election if the people’s mandate is allowed to stand,” he stated.
The PDP candidate also criticized the electoral umpire, accusing it of bias and calling for reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process.
“If these things continue, I weep for democracy in this country. Elections must reflect the wishes of the people; otherwise, citizens will lose confidence in the democratic process,” he said.
The Enugu North Senatorial District bye-election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Okechukwu Ezea, with voting taking place across the six local government areas that make up the district amid tight security.
