Enugu tribunal grants PDP three days to reply petition on Mbah’s alleged NYSC certificate forgery

Justice Kudirat Akano-led Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Enugu State, yesterday, adjourned its pre-hearing session till June 13.
The tribunal also granted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) right to reply application by the Labour Party (LP) in respect to alleged forgery of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate by Governor Peter Mbah, in three days.

Justice Akano announced the adjournment after her ruling at the end of yesterday’s sitting. Responding to the ruling, Sabastine Hon, counsel to the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the state, Chijioke Edeoga, said that in spite of the ruling, the court should not go back to the pre-hearing stage.

Hon explained that pre-hearing had already commenced on June 2, as parties had exchanged pre-hearing information among themselves. He urged the court to enforce the mandatory provision of paragraph 18(9) of the Electoral Act.

He said: “You are enjoined to enforce the mandatory provision of paragraph 18(9) of the Electoral Act. There was a pre-hearing notice issued on May 23 on petitioners.

“For the fact that certain motions and processes were moved doesn’t mean that pre-hearing has not started.”

Counsel to PDP, P. M. Onyia, stressed that the pre-hearing had not commenced, adding that the court had given them three days to file their plea.
Onyia said it was expected that a date would be specifically given for the commencement of pre-hearing.