By Desmond Ukandu (Politics Editor)
Chairman of the Independent National Electioral Commission (INEC), Professor Yakubu Mahmoud, on Friday, explained why the apex electoral umpire postponed the Senatorial poll for Enugu East Senatorial District earlier slated for Saturday, February 25, to Saturday, March 11, 2023.
The Enugu East Senatorial election was slated to hold along with the Presidential Poll like all other National Assembly elections. But the sudden gruesome assassination of the Labour Party candidate, Barrister Oyibo Chukwu, on Wednesday evening at a location in Eke-Otu Amechi-Awknawnaw Enugu, however, raised serious security concern in the area.
The killing is rumoured in Enugu to be politically motivated, especially following disclosure that late Oyibo Chukwu, had, that very Wednesday morning, alerted a prominent politician in the state whom he reportedly shared some good moments, that security information reaching him revealed that some unknown persons, who, perhaps, felt threatened by his rising chances at the poll, were after his life.
The Labour Party candidate was said to have been advised to call a rapid press conference and expose his suspected assailants but it was too late for him to do so as he was unfortunately murdered on the evening of that day and his vehicle allegedly sprinkled with petrol and burnt along with his personal assistant and a few supporters who rode with him in his vehicle.
The killing of the politician, has, once again, brought back ugly memories of politics of violence and intolerance which had characterized Enugu state at the inception of the current democracy in 1999. The death of the lawyer is said to have also created unprecedented political tension and uncertainty in the entire Enugu East Senatorial District and in the Wawa enclave of Nkanuland in particular.
Following this development, however, INEC has cancelled election into the Senatorial seat of Enugu East which was supposed to hold on Saturday February 25 along with the presidential election and instead shifted it to Saturday March 11, 2023, being the day of governorship and State Assembly elections.
Explaining the main reason why the poll was shifted following the assassination incident, INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmoud, said in Abuja during a media briefing on Friday, that the Commission was prevailed upon to postpone the election by Labour Party to enable it find a suitable replacement for its slain Senatorial candidate, Barrister Oyibo Chukwu.
Enugu East Senatorial District embraces five local government areas, namely: Nkanu West, Nkanu East, Isi Uzo, Enugu North and Enugu South.
Enugu State Labour Party Chairman, Hon. Casmir Agbo, who spoke to journalists in his office on the assassination incident, said the death of their candidate was shocking to the party. He revealed that the party wrote the National Secretariat in Abuja to intimate it with the bloody development in Enugu involving their Senatorial candidate for Enugu East.
Agbo said thus: “INEC advised us and we met and wrote to INEC Abuja through the National Headquarters in line with Section 33 and 34. The party has 14 days to nominate another candidate for substitution. In line with the electoral act we have done what we ought to do and yesterday INEC cancelled the election. We will hold our primary election in the next 14 days. So the election has been cancelled and a new date will be fixed by INEC.” The Enugu Labour Party Chairman maintains that their candidate was a victim of pre-meditated political assassination, and that the late Chukwu was shot in his vehicle and set it on fire. He called for a thorough investigation of the alleged murder, urging that the perpetrators should be brought to book. NNL.
