The candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) for Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State in the February 25, 2023, national assembly general elections, Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe, has stated that he didn’t approach the Tribunal in Umuahia or any branch of the court of appeal to contest the victory of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
He clarified that those shopping for a court judgement against Kalu were impersonating him.
Igbokwe also exonerated Kalu in a report in Sahara Reporters that the Deputy Speaker was behind the call for the arrest of some leaders of the AA party.
Igbokwe, addressing a press conference in Abuja on Sunday over the issue, insisted that he was impersonated and subsequently called on the security agencies to fish out the impersonators and bring them to justice.
In his words, “Gentlemen of the Press, for the purposes of proper introduction, my name is Honourable Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe. I am from Uzuakoli in the Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
I was the candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the last National Assembly General Elections. Precisely, I contested for the seat of Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
“The essence of this press conference is to tell the whole world that I did not file any legal suit at the Tribunal to contest the outcome of the election.
I have long accepted the victory of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who is now Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“But to my greatest chagrin, I have continued to read the reports of a legal suit surreptitiously filed by my humble self against Kalu.
I came here to say that for the umpteenth time, I did not file any legal action against Kalu, and I have cried out to the security authorities that I was impersonated.
“Gentlemen of the Media, it may interest you to know that when we first got wind of this matter, I went to the Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State capital, with my lawyers to know who filed the case.
To everybody’s surprise, no one else other than me boldly showed up to say he or she is Hon. Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe.
I further learned that those impersonating me also had their lawyers present in court. But before the Tribunal could call up the case, the lawyers had disappeared. We filed our briefs, and the Tribunal later dismissed the matter.
“I followed it up with a petition to the IGP and the Director of the Department of State Service (DSS) requesting the arrest and prosecution of my impersonators because it was a criminal matter.
“I have every document that I have forwarded to the IG’s office. The State Chairman of the party, Tony Orji, and the National Chairman of Action Alliance, AA, Adekunle Aja-Oje, were indicted in the matter. I expected the police not to treat the issue lightly since it is a case of impersonation, but nothing has happened so far.
“But I was surprised when my attention was drawn to a publication by Sahara Reporters accusing the Deputy Speaker, Kalu, of instigating the police to invite the AA national party chairman for questioning.
“This is totally wrong. It was misdirected. I want to clearly state here that I was the one who filed the petition at the IG’s office against my party leadership.
It’s a case of criminal 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.
“Gentlemen of the Press, this is very serious. 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 judgement 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.”
Igbokwe, who insisted that the fake Ifeanyi must be provided by the party, said he had no reason to fight his kinsman for winning an election.
“I have no reason to fight my brother, the Deputy Speaker whom God has, through the benevolence of leaders of the country, his party, 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.
“I am holding this press conference to clear my name and to say that it is within my constitutional rights to cry out against impersonation.
“Impersonation anywhere in the world is a serious criminal offence that is punishable under the law. Let those who went to the appeals court unmask themselves for the world to see them.
“I, therefore, call on the police, the DSS, and other security agencies to immediately fish out these impersonators and bring them to justice,” he said.
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