By Stanley Nwanosike
The Labour Party (LP) has won the just-concluded Oji River State Constituency Supplementary Election, held on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
The election was held at Oji-River Central School Polling Unit, Registration Area/Ward 11, which had 2,489 registered voters.
INEC had declared and returned LP’s candidate, Chief Osita Eze, winner of the supplementary election with 108 votes (at the supplementary election) and already with over 300 votes outstanding (during the March 18 election) ahead of other contestants.
Eze defeated the incumbent, Chief Jeff Mba, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 118 votes (at the supplementary election).
Reacting, Dr Mcginger Ibeneme, Spokesperson, Labour Party, Enugu State, said that it was a hard-fought victory for Oji River people as well as the beginning of their total political emancipation.
Ibeneme said that the people of Oji River and by extension the good people of Enugu State had clearly affirmed that they want genuine change and people-centred representation that would carry everybody along.
“We were brutalised and were not allowed to even campaign for the supplementary election by thugs, even as I was singled out and brutalised during the supplementary election, yesterday, as some of the opposition saw me as the leader of the political tsunami in Oji River.
“Our people and supporters were also intimidated by some thugs and misguided security agents working for the PDP but they stood their ground and stuck out their necks waiting for the worst. But at last, Oji River people are liberated,” he said.
He said that the people of Oji River are currently celebrating the victory of Labour Party, the party of hope and genuine change, won in all five elections in the council area, starting from the President, Senate, House of Representative, Governorship and now State House of Assembly. (NAN)
