Kalu applauds Court of Appeal for dismissing AA’s petition against his election

<p>The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has lauded the Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss the petition by the Action Alliance (AA) against his election.</p>, <p>The court upheld his election victory in the Feb. 25, election for Bende Federal constituency in Abia.</p>, <p>Mr Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Deputy Speaker said in a statement on Friday in Abuja.</p>, <p>The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia had previously struck out the AA’s petition in August.</p>, <p>The decision was based on the fact that the party’s candidate, Ifeanyi Igbokwe, acknowledged not filing any legal suit against Kalu and raised concerns of impersonation.</p>, <p>Igbokwe subsequently reported the impersonation to the police and the Department of the State Service (DSS), calling for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.</p>, <p>While the security agencies were still in pursuit of the alleged impersonators, the AA filed an appeal.</p>, <p>Igbokwe, at a news conference, stated that he had never filed an appeal against Kalu and urged the police to apprehend his impersonators.</p>, <p>In a crucial ruling delivered on Oct. 19, the appeal court dismissed the matter, deeming it an “academic exercise.”</p>, <p>The court also said that the time limit specified by Section 285 of the Constitution for the appeal had expired, thus lacking the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.</p>, <p>In response to the victory, Kalu, through speaking through Nwabughiogu, lauded the judiciary for the exceptional legal acumen in handling the case.</p>, <p>He reaffirmed his unwavering dedication to his duties, emphasising that the judgment marked the conclusion of the legal disputes arising from the 2023 general election.</p>, <p>He said this would further fuel his commitment to serving his Bende federal constituency and Nigeria as a whole.</p>