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“The court accepts the evidence regarding the purported inconsistencies in the Deputy Speaker’s credentials.”

  • Post category:Politics

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal 4, seated in Umuahia, acknowledged the election results as evidence, which the petitioners claimed were manipulated by INEC in favor of Kalu and APC.

During the proceedings, Chief Frank Chinasa, the Labour Party Candidate in the February 25 National Assembly poll for Bende Federal Constituency of Abia, presented various documents alleging discrepancies in Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu’s credentials. Chinasa served as a crucial witness before the three-member panel led by Hon. Justice Samson Gang.

Yunus Usman (SAN), Chinasa’s Lead Counsel, submitted several documents, including Kalu’s birth certificate, West African School Certificate, University of Calabar first-degree certificate, and NYSC Certificate. Usman pointed out that some of these Certified True Copies (CTCs) bore different names, such as Osisiogu Benjamin Okezie, Kalu Benjamin Okezie, and Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu, respectively.

After his submission, the tribunal admitted all the nine documents and marked them as exhibits.

Kelvin Nwufo (SAN), representing Kalu, raised objections to the admissibility of the documents as exhibits but stated that he would present his reasons for the objection in his final written address.

Similarly, Counsel for APC and INEC, Vigilus Nwankwo and Ogochukwu Onyekwulije respectively, also objected to the admissibility of the documents. They assured the tribunal that they would provide the reasons for their objections in their final written addresses.

The tribunal also accepted the election result as evidence, which the petitioners claimed was manipulated by INEC in favor of Kalu and APC.

Chinasa alleged that INEC awarded him 6,898 votes while Kalu received 10,020 votes. He also presented a copy of his protest letter to INEC, alleging manipulation of the election result, which was also admitted as an exhibit.

During cross-examination, Chinasa stated that he was not aware of the harmonization of Kalu’s names and denied any knowledge of a High Court judgment confirming the said harmonization. He further clarified that he did not obtain the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the documents tendered “individually” but “summarily.”

The proceedings were adjourned until Saturday, during which Kalu is expected to present his defense and undergo cross-examination.

In a separate development, the tribunal accepted the deposition by the Action Alliance (AA) Candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Igbokwe, stating that his party’s name and logo were excluded from the ballot.

A Certified True Copy of the party’s protest letter to INEC regarding the exclusion was presented as evidence by its National Secretary, Amb. Suleiman Abdulrasheed, and admitted as an exhibit.

Suleiman informed the tribunal that a Federal High Court in Abuja, in a judgment with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1759/2022, delivered on November 4, 2022, had ordered INEC to upload and publish Igbokwe’s name as the validly nominated AA candidate. However, INEC allegedly declined to comply with the court’s order.

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