**Date**: September 1, 2023
*Abuja, Nigeria*:
Hon. Frank Chinasa, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the Bende Federal Constituency election in Abia State, has officially conceded the seat to the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu. Chinasa made this announcement during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, citing his concern for the welfare of the constituency as the driving force behind his decision.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declared Hon. Benjamin Kalu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 election, securing 10,020 votes out of the total 22,308 cast.
Dissatisfied with the election’s outcome, Chinasa took the matter to the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State, with the intention of overturning Kalu’s victory.
However, the tribunal recently ruled in favor of the Deputy Speaker, affirming his status as the winner of the February poll.
While there were speculations that the LP candidate might escalate the case to the Court of Appeal in an effort to challenge the tribunal’s ruling, Chinasa clarified during his press statement on Friday that he had opted to discontinue any further legal action and pledge his allegiance to Kalu.
Chinasa emphasized that both he and the Deputy Speaker share the common goal of representing the people of Bende effectively. He noted their longstanding history and friendship, stating, “Kalu and I have a history that has run into decades which cannot be ruined by the transient political activities of today. First, we are brothers from Bende. We are also good friends, and we intrinsically share the same objective of good representation of our people.”
This decision by Frank Chinasa signifies a resolution to put the election dispute behind him and work towards the betterment of the constituency, fostering unity and collaboration within the Bende Federal Constituency.
