Abia attorney general describes comments by opposition as contemptuous

Umeh Kalu, attorney general of Abia State, has condemned in very strong terms some of the comments against the members of the Abia Election Petition Tribunal by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), saying such comments were unfounded and contemptuous.

Kalu, while briefing newsmen in Umuahia, said as the chief law officer of the state, he had a constitutional duty to represent the interest of all political parties, citizens of the state as well as members of the election tribunal sitting in the state.

The attorney general noted that Abians had a duty to show some level of fairness to the tribunal members, maintaining that the allegations against them that they had been compromised did not hold water.

The attorney general/commissioner for justice, who described the actions of APGA as reprehensible, said it was wrong for the party to appeal cases on the pages of newspapers, adding that such attacks on the judges were meant to cow and intimidate them.

The manner the opposition is going does not portray the state in good light, he said, pointing out that the best option is for them to seek redress in the court of appeal if they felt dissatisfied with the judgment of the tribunal or wait till 2019 for the next election.

Kalu, who recalled that Abia State has had tribunals before now, however said what was happening now was an act of desperation by APGA and reiterated that no one had been compromised as the judgments by the tribunal had been sound.

He appealed to the parties that had lost cases in the tribunal to exhibit wisdom and resilience instead of casting aspersions and making wild allegations against the jurists of the tribunal on the pages of newspapers.