...asks IGP, DSS to arrest, prosecute his impersonators
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 said he neither approached the Tribunal in Umuahia nor 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 said that those shopping for a court judgement against Kalu were impersonating him.
He also exonerated Kalu from a report in Sahara Reporters that the Deputy Speaker was behind the call for the arrest of some leaders of the party.
Igbokwe who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Sunday over the issue, a text of which was made available to journalists insisted that he was impersonated and subsequently called on the security agencies to fish out the impersonators and bring them to justice.
He said: "Gentlemen of the Press, for purposes of proper introduction, my name is Honorable Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe. I am from Uzuakoli in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. I was the candidate of 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 again 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 the 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/she is Hon. Ifeanyi Chukwuka Igbokwe. I further learnt 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 the prosecution of my impersonators because it was a criminal matter.
"I have every document which I have forwarded to the IGs 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 of inviting 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 that filed the petition at the IGs office against my party leadership. It's a case criminal case of impersonation and I must follow the case to the latter regardless of who is involved. It is my integrity that is at stake here and 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 learnt 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 emphasized that I am the only candidate of 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 in this issue."
Igbokwe who insisted that the fake ifeanyi must 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 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 cry out against impersonation.
"Impersonation anywhere in the world is a serious criminal offence that is pushable under the law. Let those who went to the Appeal 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.
Attached is the petition to the IG.
