By Christiana Ekpa
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu says he has been vindicated on the validation of his name by the ruling of the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital which also upheld his election.
Kalu’s remarks is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Levinus Nwabughiogu on Tuesday in Abuja.
Kalu, upon the receipt of the exciting news in Abuja expressed immense gratitude to the judiciary for recognizing that he followed due process and other extant laws to validate his name.
While also thanking the people of Bende federal constituency on whose mandate he stands, the deputy speaker reiterates that his confidence in the judiciary to do justice to issues at all times was unwavering.
“I have never doubted the ability of the judiciary at any level to do justice to issues. My confidence in them has always been unwavering. It has, once again, vindicated me on this matter and also upheld my mandate as the elected representative of the people, in this case, Bende federal constituency of Abia State. I am grateful”, Kalu said.
Recall that the candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 national assembly elections, Frank Chinasa had petitioned the tribunal, seeking the nullification of Kalu’s election on the account of alleged inconsistency in his name change.
Recall also that shortly after Kalu’s first term election in 2019, one Okay Ezeala also approached the court seeking the nullification of the election on the same ground.
But Justice O A. Chijioke of an Umuahia High Court while delivering his judgement on the matter on August 25, 2021 ruled in favour of Kalu and subsequently awarded a cost to the petitioner for wasting the time of the court in a frivolous suit.
Ridiculously, Labour Party’s Chinasa also dusted the same matter that had been laid to rest, fronting before the tribunal after this year’s general elections.
