The Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia today dismissed a suit against Benjamin Kalu, the spokesman of the House of Representatives, over allegations of forgery.
Justice A.O. Chijioke also awarded costs against the claimant, Okey Ezeala.
Ezeala had filed a suit against the rep member, alleging name forgery on his academic certifications, saying there was a name discrepancy in the certificates of the legislator.
Chima Anyaso, the candidate of the PDP who lost the election against the legislator, made a failed attempt to join the suit earlier.
Justice Chijioke dismissed the suit, describing it as malicious.
Agreeing to all the arguments of Kalu’s lead counsel, K.C. Nwufor (SAN), Justice Chijioke said the matter is a pre-election matter and therefore, statute-barred and frivolous.
”Rep. Benjamin Kalu fully complied with the law in his change of name.
”The claimant failed to differentiate or prove his claims of forgery and impersonation against Rep. Benjamin Kalu,” he said.
The Judge said the claimant ought to have produced the original bearer of the name which Kalu was alleged to have impersonated.
Addressing Anyaso’s attempt to join the suit as a co-claimant, the court described it as improper and malicious. considering that Anyaso had exhausted all his rights in the matter having lost the election, election tribunal and court of appeal.
In the judgement which lasted 1 hour 30 minutes, the court also stated that the suit appeared to be a case of “the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob”.
Attempts to speak with Anyaso after the judgement failed as he disappeared from then court premises.
Kalu, on his part, said: ‘As I have always said, God is the God of justice. As a believer in God, I was confident that He would not allow injustice to be meted against me.
“Also, as a product of the judiciary, I had absolute confidence in the ability of the judiciary to sustain justice especially when the facts speak so clearly for themselves.
‘I have experienced the competence of the judiciary from the time of the elections, tribunal and court of appeal. So, I was certain that the judiciary would sustain their fairness and gladly they did not disappoint me. I thank my supporters who believed in me, who stood by me and showed great concern during this period.’
‘It has been a horrible two years, going in and out of court. The idea was to distract me from working for the people of Bende. However, I have refused to be distracted.” ##
