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*Describes Asogwa as people’s champion

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has congratulated the winner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday by-election for Enugu North Senatorial District, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, describing the landslide victory as an affirmation of APC’s overwhelming acceptance and dominance in the state’s politics.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, declared APC’s Asogwa winner of the senatorial seat formerly won in 2023 by Labour Party Senator Okey Ezea, who died after an illness in November 2025.

The district covers Nsukka, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Uzo-Uwani, Igbo-Etiti, and Udenu Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The Returning Officer, Professor Christian Ezeibe, who announced the result in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC office in the LGA, said Asogwa polled a total of 162,360 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nestor Ezeme of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 9,299 votes.

Reacting, Mbah described it as a “statement victory,” noting that the people of the senatorial district had not only made the best choice for quality representation, but had also demonstrated total alignment with the APC.

“On behalf of the Government and good people of Enugu State, I congratulate Chief Ikeje Asogwa on this resounding victory.

“It is a statement and landmark victory both for us as an administration and for the APC as a party.

“If anybody was in doubt, the landslide victory proves, beyond rhetoric, that APC has now emerged as the unquestionable dominant political force across the length and breadth of our state. Our people are fully aligned.

“It is also a vote of confidence in Chief Ikeje Asogwa, a people’s champion, who has distinguished himself in the service of his people and the state.

“There is no doubt that his presence at the centre will strengthen state-federal government partnership and the inflow of dividends of democracy,” he stated.