By Nurat Uthman
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has expressed his satisfaction with the dismissal of the petition filed against his election by the Action Alliance (AA) at the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State.
Earlier, the tribunal had also made a significant ruling in favor of Kalu regarding a petition filed by the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Frank Chinasa, in the February 25, 2023 elections for the Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Samson Paul Gang, rejected Chinasa’s request to disqualify Kalu from the elections due to an alleged inconsistency in his name.
The tribunal determined that Kalu had followed the necessary procedures to validate his name and deemed the petition unnecessary.
Furthermore, the court swiftly dismissed the petition filed by the Action Alliance against Kalu on Thursday. It is worth noting that the candidate of the Action Alliance, Igbokwe, had recently distanced himself from the lawsuit, stating that he had not initiated any legal action against Kalu and had lodged a complaint with the police and the Department of State Service regarding the impersonation.
In a phone conversation with the deputy speaker’s office following the ruling, Igbokwe expressed his happiness that the matter had been dismissed. He acknowledged that he had made a move and considered it a destiny move, emphasizing that it is essential to work with a visionary leader like Rt. Hon. Benjamin, who has greatly contributed to the welfare of the Bende people. Igbokwe also expressed his surprise at the occurrence and thanked God for the favorable judgment.
Likewise, Barrister Lawrence Ugochukwu Nwokocha, Igbokwe’s lawyer in the case, stated that the court agreed with their position that his client had not filed any legal matter.
In his response, as conveyed through a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Levinus Nwabughiogu, the deputy speaker welcomed the tribunal’s ruling.
He commended Igbokwe for accepting the decision of the people in the polls and recognized the candidate’s acknowledgment that the action against him was driven by mischief.
