The Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has invited Governor Peter Mbah to appear on Friday and testify in the petition demanding his removal from office over the alleged forgery of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
This followed an application filed by the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) through its counsel, Alex Amujiogo, at the resumed hearing on the petition in Enugu on Thursday.
The PRP governorship candidate, Christopher Agu, and his Labour Party counterpart, Chijioke Edeoga, are challenging Mbah’s victory in the March 18 election over the alleged forgery of his NYSC discharge certificate.
The NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. YD Ahmed, had on May 19 declared that the governor’s discharge certificate was not issued by the Service.
At Thursday’s proceeding, the PRP’s counsel asked the tribunal to invite Mbah as a subpoenaed witness.
He said efforts to serve the governor with the notice had proved abortive.
Amujiogu urged the panel to direct the NYSC agent, Mr. Ali Zuwa, to enter the witness box and tender the letter of disclaimer against Mbah in line with Section 218 of the Evidence Act.
The counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anthony Ani (SAN), however, demanded that Sections 218 and 219 of the Evidence Act must be read in conjunction with Sections 214 and 215 of the same Act.
He also objected to all the documents tendered by the second petitioner witness except the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) result sheet.