Uchechukwu Okoroafor, Abuja
Back in August, the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State capital, dismissed the petition by the candidate of the Labour Party, Chief Frank Chinasa, seeking to nullify the election of the member representing Bende federal constituency and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
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Similarly, the tribunal had earlier struck out the purported petition against his election by the Action Alliance (AA) at the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Nobody could dispute that the tribunal delivered a remarkable judgement on the 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 in Kalu’s favour.
The three-man tribunal headed by Justice Samson Paul Gang also denied Chinasa’s prayers to declare Kalu unqualified for the elections over an alleged inconsistency in his name.
The tribunal ruled that Kalu followed due process to validate his name, saying the petition was unnecessary.
Recall that the AA candidate, Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe distanced himself from the suit and said he never filed or authorized anyone to initiate any legal action against Kalu.
He said, “I made a move, and that’s what I will call destiny’s move. When it is time for God to bless you or make you know some things you don’t know, because you must crawl before you walk, you must work with a leader who has vision. Rt. Hon. Benjamin has really done well for the Bende people. So, I am happy that I noticed what happened on time and came out and said that I am not the one who filed that suit. I didn’t even take him to court. So, I am surprised that such a thing happened there. We thank God. God had to use the lawyers to have a very good judgment today. That’s why I am very happy”.
Similarly, Igbokwe’s lawyer in the case, Barrister Lawrence Ugochukwu Nwokocha, said the court agreed with their position in the sense that his client didn’t file any matter.
Kalu, who is the deputy speaker of the House, scored 10,020 votes to secure his second term in the House. He defeated his closest rival, Frank Chinasa, of the Labour Party (LP), who polled 6,818 votes.
After the declaration of the result, Igbokwe allegedly filed a petition to challenge Kalu’s victory at the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, the state capital.
The court struck out the petition after Igbokwe raised the alarm that he never filed a petition or authorised anyone to challenge the outcome of the election on his behalf.
Igbokwe said he had petitioned the Inspector General of Police and the State Security Service (SSS) over the matter.
He said the impersonators have also filed another petition challenging the decision of the tribunal at the Court of Appeal.
“It’s a criminal case of impersonation, and I must follow the case to the letter regardless of who is involved. It is my integrity that is at stake here, not that of anyone else. They will have to face the law because they don’t mean well for my political career.
“While they are yet to honour the police invitation, I have learned that the same people have filed an appeal in my name again against Kalu,” he said.
Igbokwe emphasised that he is not aware of the petitions, and he does not issue authorisation to anybody to challenge the outcome of the election.
“I hereby emphatically state that I know nothing about the appeal at the court of appeal. This is the handiwork of the same political merchants who are bent on using my name to procure judgment against the Deputy Speaker.
“It must be emphasised that I am the only candidate for AA in that election. And if anyone should approach the courts, it should be me. Once again, I challenge anyone who says he is Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe other than me to reveal his true identity and counter my position on this issue.
“I have no reason to fight my brother, the Deputy Speaker, whom God has, through the benevolence of leaders of the country, his party, the APC, and his colleagues in the National Assembly, exalted to a position of privilege for Ndi Bende, Ndi Abia State, and Ndi Igbo in general. I can’t be stupid enough to pursue a case I know is needless.”
Igbokwe called on the police and the SSS to conduct an appropriate investigation into the issue and fish out the impersonators.
He said, “Impersonation anywhere in the world is a serious criminal offense that is punishable under the law. Let those who went to the Appeal Court unmask themselves for the world to see them.
“I therefore call on the police, the SSS, and other security agencies to immediately fish out these impersonators and bring them to justice.” What Igbokwe alleged is a serious crime and should not be swept under the rug. These impostors who want to distract the Deputy Speaker must be made to pay for their crimes.
Upholding the Deputy Speaker’s election, the appellate court further noted that, the time limit provided by Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the appeal has elapsed, stating that it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
This is one judgement that the judiciary got right. We know that the petitioners were drowning politicians looking for any straw to hold. It was a waste of the precious time of the court, and the petitioners should have been fined as a deterrent to others. The reaction of the Office of the Deputy Speaker to his victory at the Appeal Court sums up the matter. The statement reads, “The judgement, which has now marked the end to the legal voyages in the aftermath of the 2023 general election, has buoyed him up for better service to his Bende federal constituency and Nigeria in general.”
Congratulations to the Deputy Speaker on a well-deserved affirmation at the Court of Appeal.