Enugu PDP Faults LP for Fielding A Convict As Party Candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Enugu state has blamed the Labour Party, LP, for fielding Mr. Bright Ngene, who was last week convicted for conspiracy and stealing, as the party’s candidate for Enugu South State Constituency 1 in the 2023 general election.

The National Working Committee of the Labour Party had earlier alleged that Ngene was convicted due to a pending rerun election between him and the PDP candidate.

However, in a press conference at the PDP state secretariat on Wednesday, the party’s State Working Committee led by Augustine Nnamani, fired back at the Labour Party for “falsely alleging political witch hunt by the Enugu State Government in the trial and sentencing of Bright Ngene.”

The PDP explained that Ngene’s investigation, trial, and conviction were at the instance of his own people for the theft of N15.7m belonging to his community and wondered how it relates to the 2023 House of Assembly contest.

“For the avoidance of doubt, and as the case file number (MEN/ 225C/2017) clearly indicates, this is a matter of conspiracy and stealing filed in the Enugu South Magisterial District of the Enugu State Magistrate Court against the 1st Defendant, Bright Ngene, and two others way back in 2017.

“Let it also be known that the Akwuke/Akwuke Uwani Communities lodged the complaint with the police. After a painstaking investigation, the defendants, including Bright Ngene, were indicted and consequently arraigned before a magistrate court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing on 21st day August, 2017. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to both counts and were granted bail.

“The prosecution opened their case on the next adjourned date, being 11th September, 2017, calling witnesses before closing their case.

“But rather than marshal their defence, the defendants initially made a no case submission. However, the court dismissed it and ordered them to commence their defence.

“Next, Bright Ngene wrote to the Chief Judge of Enugu State seeking a transfer of the matter to another judge to start trial denovo (anew), a request the Chief Judge refused for lacking in merit.

“Ngene did not relent, as the matter was ultimately reassigned to another judge and the matter started afresh. The Prosecution called their witnesses, who testified afresh and were thoroughly cross-examined by the defence counsel. Ngene (1st Defendant) equally testified in person for himself and also called witnesses, who testified on his behalf before closing his case,” the PDP stated.

The PDP, therefore, underscored the fact that not only was the Labour Party House of Assembly candidate charged at the instance of his people many years predating the 2023 election, but also that the delays in the trial “were mostly at the instance of Bight Ngene (1st Defendant), who kept applying to the Chief Judge for reassignment of the case and filing actions in the superior courts to stall the trial.

“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?” the PDP queried.

The PDP advised the Labour Party and Ngene to exercise their right of appeal or “carry their self-laden cross instead of this attempt to run down the judiciary and blame others for their own self-inflicted woes.”

Emmanuel Ukoh