Court Documents made available to POLITICS NIGERIA reveal that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the February 2019 election for Bende Federal Constituency, Chima Anyaso is behind the current legal battle against Rep. Benjamin Kalu alias ‘The Oracle’.
Anyaso claims that there are inconsistencies(name change) in the school certificates of Rep. Kalu. It can be recalled that he has earlier denied being behind the case.
BACKGROUND
After being defeated by Rep. Kalu in the keenly contested elections for the Bende Federal Constituency seat in the house, Mr. Anyaso has instituted different legal cases against the Reps member.
It can be recalled that Anyaso, shortly after the elections, approached the election petition tribunal, but lost again. Still not satisfied, he approached the appeal court but still lost his case.
After the Appeal Court decision, Mr. Anyaso openly declared a truce adding that he was going to lend his support to Hon. Kalu in building Bende, he also placed a congratulatory call to him.
CERTIFICATE SAGA
Despite the congratulatory message to Hon. Kalu, Anyaso is still fighting and using every available means to ensure that Kalu is removed as House of Reps member.
Recently, a sponsored circulation of propaganda alleging that Kalu’s school certificates were ‘Fake’ emerged on social media. Many suspected Anyaso of being behind it but he vehemently denied stating he had no more issues with Kalu.
A lawsuit was later filed against Kalu by one ‘Ezeala Okechukwu’ challenging the authenticity of his academic documents and seeking his election victory reversal.
On further investigation and perusal of court documents with seal no. B2536568 and suit number HU/265/2020 filed at the Abia state high court, Chima Anyaso sought to be included as an applicant in the same suit.
AFTERMATH
Reacting to the development, Hon. Kalu through his legislative aide, Chidozie Aja described the suit as ‘laughable’ adding that the academic qualifications of his boss are genuine.
“It is laughable to say that Rep. Kalu school certificate is not authentic when his fellow primary and secondary school mates, as well as the teachers and principals who taught him, are still alive and well and can testify against this allegation.”
LEGAL CHANGE OF NAME NOT FORGERY
Findings by POLITICS NIGERIA indicate that legally, when a name change is done, issuing institutions are notified and previous documents remain the same. Court documents exclusively gotten by this paper indicate that Rep. Kalu did swear an affidavit to his name change as far back as 2002.
He also had the name change published publicly on Punch Newspaper, dated Thursday, August 29th, 2002.
Attached Below is also a sworn-affidavit of Rep. Kalu done in 2011 on his change of name.
Based on the affidavit and gazette, the name ‘Benjamin Okezie Umunna – Osisiogu’ is the same as ‘Benjamin Okezie Kalu’. Both Umunna and Osisiogu were the names of his step father which he and his two other siblings Kenneth and Blessing (late) dropped to proudly bear their biological father’s name – Kalu, hence, Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
It is within the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that a person can decide to change his/her name using an affidavit of change of name, newspaper publication, and gazetting.
According to LawPadi, a popular website on Nigeria’s laws and legal practice, the criteria for a legal name change is as follows;
“The first step is to swear an affidavit in court stating your intention to change your name. An affidavit is a technical term for a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer of the court.”
“Once the above is done, the next step is to publish notice of change of name in a national Newspaper, this is to give the general public notice that you have officially changed your name.”
All of these were fulfilled by Rep. Kalu.
Efforts to reach Mr. Anyaso for a comment proved abortive as his phone lines were not reachable.
Our correspondent was able to reach Hon. Kalu on phone but rather than respond to our inquiries, he angrily stated that the matter was in court and would not like to comment on it.
“The press should respect the rules of court. Contempt of court is contempt of court and it is contempt of court for me as a party to a suit against me to start commenting on it.”
“I have said it time and again that it is sub judicial. Please don’t call again on this. Wait till the 23rd of august for the final ruling on this and then I can speak about it.” he said.
