Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Enugu, has ordered the state Governor, Peter Mbah, to appear before it today, to clarify issues surrounding his discharge certificate from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the March 18 governorship election in the state.
 
Also, NYSC yesterday declined to tender a letter of disclaimer that it issued against Mbah’s certificate to the tribunal, citing an Abuja High Court order as an excuse.
 
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kudirat Akano, had ordered the governor to appear today following allegations by the counsel for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate in the March 18 election, Alex Amujiogu, that Mbah had been evading service to appear before the tribunal in the alleged forgery of the NYSC discharge certificate brought against him.
 
Candidate of the party in the election, Chris Agu, had brought the petition, seeking to upturn the declaration of Mbah as the winner of the election, stressing that he is not qualified to contest the election, having allegedly forged his NYSC discharge certificate.
 
At the resumed hearing of the tribunal yesterday, Amujiogu told the tribunal that Mbah was evading service and, therefore, sought for an order empowering the court bailiff to use substituted means to serve the governor through his lawyer in court.
 
Although the application was opposed by the three respondents, the INEC, Mbah and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on the grounds that it was supposed to come by way of motion, supported by an affidavit during pre-trial session, they were overruled by the tribunal.
 
Justice Akano ordered that the subpoena be served on Mbah through his counsel and that he should appear before the tribunal today.