The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, convened in Umuahia, Abia State, has upheld the election of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, by dismissing a petition lodged against his victory. The Labour Party (LP), the petitioner, had its case rejected by the three-member panel led by Justice Samson Paul-Gang.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice Paul-Gang, in his ruling delivered recently, declared the LP’s petition as lacking in merit. He emphasized that the burden of proof rested on the petitioners, and they failed to substantiate their claims beyond reasonable doubt. As a result, he ordered all parties involved to bear the associated administrative costs….CONTINUE READING

The dispute stemmed from the LP candidate, Chief Frank Chinasa, challenging the re-election of Benjamin Kalu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State in the February 25, 2023 election.

Chinasa’s legal representative, Mr. Yunus Usman (SAN), argued that Kalu was ineligible for the poll due to discrepancies in his educational qualifications, which was in violation of Section 65(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution. Usman pointed out that Kalu used various names across his educational documents, presenting a potential identity issue.

In response, Kalu’s counsel, Mr. Kelvin Nwufo, asserted that the name inconsistencies were reconciled through an official deed of proof and a federal government gazette, wherein the change of name was officially recorded.

Justice Paul-Gang concluded that the petitioner had not convincingly demonstrated falsification of certificates, placing the burden of proof squarely on the petitioner’s shoulders. Consequently, the tribunal dismissed the petition on grounds of insufficiency of evidence.