Stop Press: Being a press release by the Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Sir Cosmos Ndukwe

Distinguished Members of the fourth estate of realm, it has become very expedient that I address you on very serious issues bothering on my integrity, security of my life and that members of my family. Ordinarily and given the consistently unstable characters of the personalities involved, one would have been tempted to discharge with a wave of the hand their usual rantings. However, I will not oblige these characters the luxury of repeatedly telling lies so that it doesn't look like the truth.

On the 28th of September 2015, SUN Newspapers and obviously hiding under the guise of their publisher, invented what could be the most laughable lie against my person and personal dignity. In an interview granted one Chijioke Chukwu, the Progress Peoples' Alliance (PPA) candidate for Bende North State Constituency at the April 2015 elections, my character was assassinated and my integrity injured in the most poignant manner. When a matter is before a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction, it is only reasonable one allows the mill of justice to grind to a logical conclusion no matter how slow. Personally, I subject myself to cause of justice, hence my resolve not to delve into issues already being detrmined by learned justices.

Naturally, when you weigh certain allegations against previous ones by Orji Uzor Kalu that he would not live to see me make any progress politically or personally, it is easy to know that though the hand is that of Esau, the voice is unmistakenly that of Jacob. For the sake of clarity, I will draw your atention to certain incidents to buttress my line of thinking.

SUN Newspaper and Orji Uzor Kalu have for a long time elected to sustain a campaign of calumny against me and to a large extent any person that is connected to me. Whereas I have no problem with objective review of my political activities, I take exception to any form of crusade calculated to present me as unfit and lacking in observable integrity.


At the turn of events at the elections petitions tribunal, only SUN Newspapers and their publisher cooked up a story that a certain 'ghost' Bailiff was manhandled by my guests. Ironically, when people are acting out a blackmail script, they hardly pay attention to tiny details. In their bid to nail Cosmos at all cost, they invented another wonderful lie that their colleague bailiff who never set his eyes on me nor had any form of interaction called me on phone and eventually served me notice of a petition unarguably sponsored by them against me at the elections petitions tribunal. My phone numbers are subject to scrutiny. I will challenge them to provide any Call Data Record (CDR) showing that I ever missed or answered a call from their agent bailiff.

I am aware that a good number of you attended the burial ceremony of late Dr. Roland Nworgu, husband of distinguished Senator Nkechi Nworgu. In a fresh bid to shoot themselves on the foot, it was only SUN and their publisher that invented the lie that the former Governor of Abia State and Senator representing Abia Central at the red chambers was booed at that event. For those of you who attended, I will again urge you to recall the minutest details of that event. You will agree with me that SUN and their publisher would for a long time remain a disgrace to the respected journalism profession. All the time, they vent their angers on perceived enemies, presenting themselves as rumor mongers and pathological liars.

I am not surprised that Orji Uzor Kalu would allow himself to condescend to this level of frustration since he sees Cosmos Ndukwe as being the principal architect of his crumbled empire. Truth remains that as much as he seeks to bring me down (though in historic unsuccessful manner), he unfortunately goes further down himself. The idea of obliging his newspaper as a medium for this level of political subterfuge and mudslinging' gives him away as fighting the most unjust cause. At the appropriate time, I will answer Orji Uzor Kalu and his failed attempts of untactically bringing me down. For four years he had tried and for more than five years he has failed and will continue to fail.


Ordinarily, dignifying the said Chijioke Chukwu with a response would appear unreasonable, falling to the trap of joining him to make prejudicial statements and possibly going the path of dishonour. However, in the interest of my numerous supporters and family members, I consider it appropriate to put the records straight.

I will therefore state on unequivocal terms that Chijioke Chukwu who came a distant third in the elections is publicly seeking for my attention having failed in several attempts to ambush me using diverse nocturnal, outlandish and divisive methods to reach me. From the build up to the elections till the time of this report, I have never given meeting Chijioke in any guise the minutest thought. I know the extent of foolhardiness associated with such meaningless ventures, given too that Chijioke Chukwu is in my opinion a desperate being who wallows in self pity and one out to achieve mischief. I will therfore state categorically that

1. Chijioke did not tell the world that his fondness for cheap blackmail, trading in lies and deception compelled him to swear to a false affidavit using his liar Bailiff friend that I was duly served notice of his petition. If Chijioke truly fears God and has the slightest modicum of dignity left in him, let him deny that he did not lie about serving me personally, forging my signature and deceiving the court that I was served the notice. Truth is constant. When a man is enveloped with varying degrees of self invented fear, he could walk the miles to expose his desperation. The same SUN Newspapers published the unfounded allegation that a certain 'ghost' Bailiff was manhandled in the process of serving me. Because that lie has expired, inventing another lie would therefore be expected.

2. Mentioning PDP Stakeholders in Umuahia as threatening his life is a veiled way of admitting that Chijioke is desperately trying to make something out of nothing. There is basically no connect between PDP Stakeholders Umuahia (whatever that coinga means) in an election he failed woefully that was held in Bende State Constituency. No matter how he tries to present himself, it will remain in the imagination of his senses and an unachivebale logical construct that does not exist anywhere. I will therefore challenge him to either mention these non existent Stakeholders or publish a transcript of his conversations with them. We are in a digitised world that abhors thinking in analogue mood like this Chijioke is doing at the moment.
3. Of all the lies, the one I consider most laughable is the allegation in his own words that: "There are more serious criminal dimensions to the case, which I did not pursue before the tribunal. In fact, the results he submitted to contest the election from the beginning were all forged
4. I do not know whether to sympathize with Chijioke's high level ignorance or pity his unprecedented stupidity. Any sane man knows that the easiest way for him to have prove his allegations would be to avail himself of legal procedures open for such magnitude of allegations. Abia State University Uturu is not in the moon. The court does not thrive in speculation and would not gift any man what he does not deserve. My academic records are not only comprehensively genuine but a pure expression of my academic excellence. A mere Subpeona of the issuing authorities would have exposed the minutest irregularities. It is therefore useless to canvass on the pages of newspapers what he could not prove in court. The reference to other criminal dimensions is self patronage as the only thing Chijioke has not done is to dance naked on the streets to drive home his desperation.

5. Chijioke Chukwu is only playing a mindless blame game otherwise he ought to have known that the respected Justices at the Tribunal in Umuahia are knowledgeable enough to know the difference between seeking for attention and dispensing incontrovertible justice. I have no doubt in my mind therefore that Chijioke's attempt to intimidate the Judges will fail just like his other nocturnal overtures had also failed. Justice is not delivered on the basis of sentiment but on incontrovertible facts devoid of self pity, deceptive whistle blowing and issuing prejudicial statements.

6. The Commissioner of Police and indeed Abia State Command work with renewed vigor and strength in maintaining law and order. It is not my business to know where Chijioke goes and what he does but I do know that Chijioke has freely attended to the matter in the tribunal without fear of molestation. One therefore wonders where Chijioke manufactured the lie that his life is being threatened. While I will not speak for the police, it is easy to know that a character as unstable as Chijioke can cook the most devastating lies to curry favor. Unfortunately, anybody who trades in unfounded allegations can walk the miles to establish the enormity of his nuisance value.

6. I only know that Chijioke is from Ugwueke. His specific address is not known to me while I can never remember siting him in Aba. While I do well to follow peace with all men, I take time to ignore people who I reason do not add any value to my life. If I had gone to school and acquired genuine results, it will not make sense for me to join issues with a man who prefers to call white black. It will be most in line if Chijioke would publish names of the said persons who had or are threatening his life. I feel however this particular allegation is not far from the senseless one that I forged my ABSU results.

7. While the matter in the tribunal is on going, I urge Chijioke to institute as many criminal proceedings against me in courts of competent jurisdiction and not his hired SUN Newspapers. The man who has a genuine case goes to court and not the Newspaper. I am aware that Chijioke knows that frivolous claims do not fly in courts hence the frustration of resorting to balckmail.

8. I am still wondering how on earth any person would offer to give Chijioke either twenty five or thirty million naira for failing an election. I am also interested in knowing how these foolish millionaires. As for the claims of irregularities, I will not prejudice the court. It is important however that I state in clear terms that evidences abound that Bende North State Constituency appears to have enjoyed the freest and fairest election which result meant an unpopular candidate like Chijioke came a distant third.

9. INEC is a party to the matter already on going in the tribunal. I will also not speak for the Commission. The administrative explanations associated with my registration is within the confines of their job schedule. I will not assume a judge in a matter before a Tribunal of competent jurisidction

9. I do know that issues, opinions and written addresses by all parties to a matter are evaluated by the Judges and not a matter for public opinion until such time judgments are delivered.

10. I have profound confidence that the learned Justices in the matter already at the tribunal know the difference between emotion and hard facts. I am convinced beyond all reasonable doubts that they would be guided by evidences and not sentiments expressed on the pages of newspaper.

11. I will urge Chijioke to desist from further blackmail and politics of subterfuge. While I will not hesitate to seek redress should Chijioke continue with further assassination of my character, I will also quickly remind him that he should first conquer self inflicted fear as it could devastate more than anything else.



Rt Hon .Cosmos Ndukwe

Deputy Speaker

ABHA