During the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) 2025 Annual General Conference in Enugu, a peaceful but impassioned protest erupted. Supporters of Bright Emeka Ngene, the Labour Party lawmaker-elect for Enugu South 1 State Constituency, gathered outside the International Conference Centre to demand justice and his immediate release.

Ngene, already behind bars since July 28, 2024, remains incarcerated despite winning the rerun election on August 16, 2025 while still serving a sentence. His supporters insist that his conviction stemmed from politically motivated charges, and argue that ongoing legal roadblocks amount to a betrayal of democracy.

Protestors brandished placards saying, “Release Barr. Bright Ngene Now — A Political Prisoner of Conscience” and “The People’s Choice Is Not a Crime.” Leaders of the demonstration, notably Benedict Kachukwu, emphasized that delays in the judiciary—especially recusal of judges and lack of case assignment in the High Court—have stalled justice.
The Nation Newspaper

They appealed directly to the NBA and senior lawyers attending the conference—urging them to act as agents of justice and to amplify the call for judicial independence. Describing the protest as a plea, not a fight, they hoped the gathering of legal professionals could serve as a platform for his cause.

Security prevented the protesters from entering the venue, but their demonstration succeeded in capturing attention, turning sidelined frustration into urgent, national conversation.