Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who represents Bende North Constituency, has expressed worry over the allegation by his Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) rival candidate in the 11 April, 2015 election, Chijioke Chukwu, that he (the former) presented his unearned university certificate to INEC.

He also denied that he also, through some people, offered financial inducement and government appointment to Chukwu, to withdraw from the state Election Petition Tribunal his petition challenging Ndukwe’s declaration as the winner of the election instead of him by INEC.

Ndukwe, who debunked the allegations to journalists, said that Chukwu’s allegations /insinuations were as published in a national daily newspaper of 3rd September, 2015

Ndukwe insisted that he won the election and was so declared by INEC and asserted that he had been presenting the same Mass Communications degree certificate he duly earned from the Abia State University for all the past elections he had contested over the years including the 2015 election.

According to the newspaper report, Chukwu said that he rejected both Ndukwe’s pleas and the inducements and refused to withdraw his petition insisting that he won the election.

Describing Chukwu’s insinuation as embarrassing to his person, Deputy Speaker Ndukwe queried Chukwu for not seeking the authenticity of his (Ndukwe ) certificate from the state university or challenge it in court.

Ndukwe consequently warned Chukwu “to desist from his further blackmail and politics of subterfuge” against him.

He added: “I will not hesitate to seek redress should Chijioke continue with further assassination of my character. I am still wondering how a candidate that won the third position in an election should be declared the winner. How on earth any person would offer to give Chijioke either twenty five or thirty million naira for failing an election.”