On August 25, 2025, residents of Enugu South Urban 1 staged a protest at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Enugu.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Free Bright Ngene,” “Save Our Democracy,” and “Judiciary Must Be Independent.”
They accused the Peter Mbah led administration of influencing the case.
They alleged that Ngene was hastily convicted and that the appeal process has been deliberately stalled.
Protest spokesperson, Benedict Kachukwu, told journalists:
“Honorable Ngene has been in detention since July 28, 2024, without fair trial. Judges have repeatedly withdrawn from his appeal, and the Chief Judge has refused to assign the case.”
Ngene was first declared winner of the constituency election in March 2023 with 5,862 votes, defeating the PDP candidate who scored 2,098 votes.
The tribunal later ordered a rerun in eight polling units.
Despite being in prison, Ngene’s supporters resisted pressure and maintained their loyalty.
In August 2025, INEC declared him winner again in the rerun, reaffirming his mandate.
This confirmed that he remains the choice of his constituents, even while in detention.
The legal battle dates back to 2009, when Ngene served as legal adviser to his community, Akwuke.
He was linked to a payment of ₦11 million meant for road repairs.
In 2017, a petition accused him and his associate, John Ewoh, of theft and conspiracy.
The case stalled for years until 2022, when Ngene declared interest in politics.
At that point, the matter suddenly gained momentum.
The case was transferred between different magistrates, and some judges withdrew without explanation.
The National Judicial Council even directed the magistrate to step aside, but he refused.
On July 28, 2024, Magistrate E.D. Onwu delivered judgment and sentenced Ngene and his associate to seven years in prison.
Supporters of Ngene believe the state government influenced the judiciary.
They argue that pressure was mounted on him to defect to PDP, which he refused.
They also claim that judges have avoided handling his appeal due to political interference.
The Chief Judge has allegedly failed to reassign the case to another judge.
However, Governor Peter Mbah’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Uche Anichukwu, denied government involvement.
He said a group from Ngene’s community even staged a counter protest supporting the court’s decision.
Ngene’s case has raised fresh concerns about the independence of the judiciary in Enugu State.
It has also created debate over whether an elected lawmaker can truly serve his people while in prison.
For now, Bright Ngene remains incarcerated, yet continues to hold the mandate of his constituents who elected him twice.
