Election Tribunal: AA candidate withdraws case against Reps Deputy Speaker

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

Action Alliance (AA) candidate for Bende federal constituency, Abia State in the February 2023 general elections, Ifeanyi Igbokwe has withdrawn his petition at the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting at Umuahia, against the deputy speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

In a statement in Umuahia after filing a withdrawal motion on notice before the tribunal, Igbokwe expressed shock that someone used his name to file a suit against Kalu.

He announced that he was impersonated by someone yet to be identified at the tribunal, insisting he never filed or authoritized any legal action against Kalu.

Igbokwe said he has written to the Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) to fish out the impersonators including the lawyers who represent them because according to him, whoever hired the lawyers also hired the impersonators.

“I was at home when someone called to inform me that I had a case in court against the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu. So, I was surprised that people were calling me from my own place and constituency telling me about the court case. I accepted the results from the elections and accepted defeat.

“I am shocked that someone is even representing me in court. This is my poster and this is my voter’s card, this is my party card so how come somebody is representing me and I didn’t know anything about it?

“We have gone to court, sworn every affidavit and we are writing to DSS and the IG of Police because I want to know the person impersonating me. I want to clear my name first. I want to tell the people of Abia state and Bende that I accept defeat and I want to tell Deputy Speaker that I am not fighting him. I don’t know the person impersonating me but I will fish him out and come back to inform you people”, he said.

This development leaves the battle only for the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Chinasa who is contesting the legality of the process of Kalu’s name change, a matter that had been previously decided in a court of law.

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