Another stalemate brews with the Enugu State House of Assembly polls as Labour Party and PDP continue their supremacy battle.
Labour Party struggled but lost the bid to wrest the governorship of the State from the PDP with Mr. Peter Mbah declared the winner last night.
Labour Party has however garnered more seats than PDP in the State Assembly Elections, with two seats outstanding.
Enugu Metro findings show that the opposition party secured half of the 24 State Assembly seats.
INEC has not officially published the State Assembly election outcome on its portal. However, in results announced at constituency levels, Labour won in 12, PDP won 10, while elections in two constituencies were declared inconclusive.
If the two go to PDP, they will be evenly split. Any one seat won by Labour will guaranty the opposition a simple majority in the House.
Apart from PDP and LP, no other political party won a seat, including APC and APGA.
Our correspondents report that LP won in Enugu East I & II, Enugu South I, and Enugu South II state constituencies.
Others are Enugu North, Ezeagu, Igbo-Etiti West, Igbo-Eze North I, Isi-Uzo, Nsukka East, Nsukka West, and Oji River constituencies.
PDP, on the other hand, triumphed in Aninri, Awgu North, Awgu South, Igbo-Etiti East, Igbo-Eze North II, and Nkanu East.
Additionally, Nkanu West, Udi North, Udi South, and Uzo-Uwani constituencies also went to the ruling party.
INEC declared inconclusive the results from Igbo-Eze South and Udenu state constituencies.
Surprises and disappointments
The election showed big surprises with the failure of a couple of favoured candidates to win their constituencies.
One of the big surprises is Ezeagu where Hon. Chima Obieze failed to return for a third term.
He was hoping to occupy the Speaker chair which will come to his zone now that PDP’s Peter Mbah has won the election.
This leaves two other legislators from Enugu West. They include Hon Uche Calistus Ugwu (Udi South) and Awgu North Constituency winner, Rt. Hon. Jane Chinwendu Eneh, as the ranking PDP legislators that survived the Labour Party onslaught in Enugu West District.
From all indications, both appear to be the only survivors from the current composition of Enugu State House of Assembly.
Nonetheless, without the results from Udenu and Igbo-Eze South, it is difficult to project who will become Speaker.
Party insiders say that a lot of horsetrading will happen between now and 29 May to ensure a smooth takeoff and running of the Mbah administration.
This story has been corrected to reflect that two PDP legislators survived the Labour Party onslaught in Enugu West. They are Hon. Uche Ugwu (Udi South), and Hon. Jane Eneh (Awgu North).
Labour takes lion share of seats
Enugu Metro has checks show that INEC resolved the two disputed seats in Igbo-Eze South and Udenu State Constituencies in favour of Labour.
Incidentally, the PDP candidates in both constituencies were kitchen cabinet members of the Ugwuanyi Administration, and immediate past Local Government Chairmen.
The duo, Vitus Okechi (Igboeze South) and Solomon Onah (Udeni) served as commissioners in the administration before they contested and won election as local government chairmen. Okechi served in Transport and Housing Ministries while Onah was Land as well as Commerce & Industry commissioner.
The final tally for the incoming house is as follows:
1 | Aninri | Aneke, Okechukwu | PDP | M |
2 | Awgu North | Ene, Jane Chinwe | PDP | F |
3 | Awgu South | Nwankwo, Anthony | PDP | M |
4 | Enugu East I | Okoh Osita | LP | M |
5 | Enugu East II | Ugwu Raymond | LP | M |
6 | Enugu South I | Ngene Bright Emeka | LP | M |
7 | Enugu South II | Ugwu Obiajulu P | LP | F |
8 | Enugu North | Ani Johnson Samuel | LP | M |
9 | Ezeagu | Udefuna Chukwudi | LP | M |
10 | Igbo-Etiti East | Ezeani Ezenta | PDP | M |
11 | Igbo Etiti West | Amuka Eillisms | LP | M |
12 | Igbo Eze North I | Eze, Ejikeme | LP | M |
13 | Igbo Eze North II | Obe Clifford Nnaemeka | PDP | M |
14 | Igbo Eze South | Ogara Harrison | LP | M |
15 | Isi’Uzo | Eze Gabriel Lebechi | LP | M |
16 | Nkanu East | Mbah, Okechukwu | PDP | M |
17 | Nkanu West | Aniagu Iloabuchi | PDP | M |
18 | Nsukka East | Ezugwu, Onyekachi | LP | M |
19 | Nsukka West | Onyechi Malachy Okey | LP | M |
20 | Oji River | Eze Ignatius zosita | LP | M |
21 | Udenu | Ijere Obinna Anthony | LP | M |
22 | Udi North | Ugwu Calistus Uche | PDP | M |
23 | Udi South | Ani Okechukwu | PDP | M |
24 | Uzo Uwani | Ekwueme Chukwuma | PDP | M |
Another stalemate brews with Enugu Assembly