The Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday ordered Governor Peter Mbah to appear before it tomorrow, to testify on his allegedly National Youth Service Corps discharged certificate forgery.
The order
was a sequel to an application made by the Peoples Redemption Party, through
its Counsel, Mr Alex Amujiogo.
Mbah, who
was declared winner of the March 18, governorship election in Enugu State by
the Independent National Electoral Commission is facing a mounting challenge
from the Labour Party candidate, Chijioke Edeoga and PRP candidate, Elder
Christopher Agu over his alleged forgery of the National Youths Service Corps
Discharge Certificate presented to the electoral umpire.
The PRP
candidate, Agu like the LP candidate is seeking to upturn the declaration of
Gov Mbah as the winner of the March 18 governorship election conducted in the
State.
Agu in a
petition filed before the Tribunal is claiming among others that Mbah was not
qualified to contest the election, having allegedly forged an NYSC discharge
certificate, among other issues.
At the
resumed hearing, on Thursday, the PRP’s counsel, Amujiogo told the tribunal
that Mbah was supposed to be in court as a subpoenaed witness.
He,
however, said from the affidavit deposed to by the bailiff of the Tribunal, it
had been difficult to serve Mbah the summon.
Amujiogo
then moved an application, urging the Tribunal to grant a substituted service
of the summon on Mbah through his counsel.
Although
the application was opposed by the three respondents, the INEC, Mbah as well as
the Peoples Democratic Party, on the grounds that it was supposed to come by way
of motion, supported by an affidavit during the pre-trial session.
However,
they were overruled by the Tribunal.
Consequently,
the Chairman of the Panel, Justice K. M. Akano ordered that the subpoena be
served on Mbah through his counsel and that he should appear before the
Tribunal tomorrow, June 23, 2023.
Meanwhile,
the PRP governorship candidate had earlier during the session also testified
before the Tribunal as PW2.
An
official of the NYSC from the National Secretariat, Abuja, Mr Aliu Muhammed,
who also appeared on behalf of the Director-General of the Corps, tendered an
affidavit to the Tribunal, declaring that an order of a Federal High Abuja, was
inhibiting them from tendering the disclaimer the Corps made against Mbah’s
certificate.
Muhammed
was in court following a subpoena on NYSC.
Addressing
journalists, PRP lawyer, Amujiogo said, “Our PW2 (Christopher Agu) has already
testified before the Honourable Tribunal and he has given a clearer picture,
the synopsis of what transpired during the election and we are urging the
Tribunal to set aside the purported result in favour of Peter Mbah, the
Governor.
“We had
an issue of a subpoena against Barr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, in which the Tribunal
is urging him to appear before it to clarify certain issues against him, based
on his NYSC certificate and other matters.
Meanwhile,
the case filed by the Labour Party, governorship candidate, Mr Chijioke Edeoga
also came up before the Tribunal.
The
pending interlocutory application which was filed on May 16 over Mbah’s alleged NYSC certificate forgery, was
moved before the Tribunal.
Edoga is
praying the tribunal disqualifies Mba, over the alleged forgery, an act that he
claims, violates Section 182 (j) of the Nigerian Constitution.
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