Abia: Reps Deputy Speaker Wins As Tribunal Dismisses Petition For Lacking In Merit

The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Tuesday, dismissed the petition by the candidate of the Labour Party, Frank Chinasa, seeking to nullify the election of the member representing Bende federal constituency and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.

The three-man tribunal, in a unanimous judgment read by its Chairman, Justice Samson Paul Gang, dismissed the petition for lack of merit.

The court ruled that it was the right of the first respondent to change his name as no person or group of persons has the monopoly of any name.

The judge also ruled that the responsibility of the petitioner was to prove that the certificates the respondent submitted to INEC did not belong to him, but he abandoned his case for the respondent to prove.

The petition was dismissed for lacking in merit and ordered the parties to bear their administrative cost.

Chinasa had approached the Tribunal seeking the nullification of Kalu as the winner of the election.