Former Abia Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Philips Nto, says the people spreading false allegations of academic fraud against Reps Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu are political opponents of President Bola Tinubu.
Nto in a statement in Umuahia on Saturday, said that those behind the accusations wanted to truncate the reelection of President Bola Tinubu.
Kalu is being accused of having gone to law school at the same time he was doing his national service, two programmes that should run separately.
The lawmaker has, however, denied the allegations.
Nto wondered why such accusations were surfacing when Kalu’s hard work has clearly secured hope for Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) victory in Abia ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He described the allegations as part of an elaborate strategy orchestrated by the opposition to distract and weaken Kalu in his avowed determination to ensure Tinubu’s victory in Abia.
Nto, a former Provost of Abia College of Education Technical, Arochukwu, noted that Kalu was duly screened by relevant security agencies and cleared in all the past political offices he held.
He insisted that Tinubu’s enemies targeted Kalu because “he is the face for the reelection of Tinubu in Abia.”
“This is a man who was chairman of Bende Local Government Area in Abia.
“He has been a commissioner and had even gone to the House of Representatives before.
“How come it is now that he is campaigning vigorously for Tinubu’s reelection that they are coming up with these rubbish? ” Nto quarried.
He described the “targeting of Kalu for this obnoxious smear campaign as unfortunate,” adding that it betrayed the desperation of the opposition.
“This is all politics and a worn out political strategy of targeting the strongest link in the campaign.
“They have failed woefully because if it was any malfeasance, the security agencies would have noticed the same all these years,” he said.
Nto described Kalu as an asset not only to APC and his constituents but also the entire state.
“In the annal of political representation in Abia, he is exceptional.
“Apart from attracting two federal universities to Abia, Kalu has been paying special attention to the existing federal university, which is Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike,” he said.
The former World Bank Economic Consultant also referenced the major developmental initiatives undertaken across Abia by Kalu, who does not concentrate on his own Bende Federal Constituency alone.
He also noted that Kalu has empowered many sons and daughters of Abia, irrespective of their political leanings.
He, however, advised the deputy speaker not to be distracted by the smear campaigns but focus firmly on “driving the moving vehicle for the reelection of Tinubu.”
