Chukwu defeats incumbent Chimaroke to win Enugu East senatorial election
Kevin Chukwu, the younger brother of slain senatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Enugu East senatorial election, Barrister Oyibo Chukwu has won the rescheduled poll defeating the incumbent and former governor of the state, Chimaroke Nnamani.
Te Enugu East senatorial election was rescheduled till Saturday, March 18 from its earlier scheduled February 25 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the death of the LP candidate three days to the polls.
In the fresh primary conducted by the Labour Party to pick a candidate, penultimate week, Kevin Chibuzor Chukwu emerged the senatorial candidate after defeating other aspirants during the party’s fresh primary poll, who included Mr Uchenna Ogbodo, Mr Chinedu Nneji and Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa to emerge victorious.
Announcing the results in the primary observed by two officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sunday in Enugu, the LP National Vice Chairman (South-East), Chief Innocent Okeke, said that Kelvin Chukwu polled a total of 223 votes while the other aspirants received none.
Oyibo Chukwu, slain LP Enugu East Senatorial candidate
Announcing the results of last Saturday’s election, INEC said Kevin polled 69,136 votes to defeat Chimaroke Nnamani, who scored 48,701 votes.
Nnamani was contesting under the platform of the PDP which had already expelled him from the party in February, this year, even as the appeal is before a law court.
It would be recalled that Barrister Chukwu was assassinated barely three days to the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly poll in the country.
The incident occurred at Amechi Awkunanaw, in the Enugu South Local Government Area, Wednesday evening.
Eyewitness account claim Barrister Chukwu was shot dead and his body burnt inside the car by his assailants.
An unverified video on social media showed a man burnt inside a campaign vehicle with people around the scene crying.
Governorship candidate of the LP in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga, who also confirmed the incident, said the gunmen shot him inside his vehicle with five other people with him and set the car ablaze.
“It is true that our senatorial candidate for Enugu East senatorial district for Saturday’s election has been killed. They (gunmen) shot him and five others and set them ablaze.
“Our party members are being targeted for assassination by political parties that felt threatened by the rise of the Labour Party in the state and are afraid they may lose the Saturday’s election.”
