The young man is my friend now, we have moved on – Abia Lawmaker, Ikwechegh claims friendship with bolt driver he ass@ulted
Alex Ikwechegh, a House of Representatives member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency (APGA), has revealed that he and Stephen Abuwatseya, the Bolt driver he was seen assaulting in a viral video last year, have reconciled and are now friends.
The incident, which drew widespread criticism, showed Ikwechegh repeatedly slapping and insulting Abuwatseya for allegedly disrespecting him by asking him to step out of his residence to collect a snail delivery. Ikwechegh even threatened to make the driver “disappear.”
Following the backlash, the 44-year-old lawmaker apologized and stated that they resolved the issue through alternative dispute resolution methods.
Reflecting on the matter during a Channels TV interview on January 28, 2024, Ikwechegh described the event as “a low moment” and shared that he has since formed a friendship with both Abuwatseya and his pastor.
”What happened was quite unfortunate, but I take it that it’s an avenue for me as a person to also build a relationship with the young man that came. Today we are friends. It was taken to court, but of course, the court found no merits, and it was struck out,” he said
“The video that everybody saw was a low moment. I felt the sanctity of my home was being desecrated. Of course, part of the video you people saw, is the part that people saw, people actually do not know what happened before that reaction. Like they say, actions preempt reactions, but whatever anybody must have seen is not indicative of who I am,” he said.
“The young man is my friend now. I’m very close to his bishop, his pastor. And I’ve met a bunch of new friends, and today, the whole Nigerian now knows me…I guess, we’ve moved on,” Ikwechegh stated
