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September 21, 2023
Edeoga is challenging the election of Governor Mbah, a second Respondent in the petition on the grounds of submitting a forged NYSC discharge certificate, among others.
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu State has declared that a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate is not a qualification to contest a governorship election.
A three-member panel of Tribunal led by Justice Kudirat Murayo gave the verdict while delivering judgement on the petition filed by Labour Party candidate, Chijioke Edeoga challenging the declaration of Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, as the elected governor of the state.
Edeoga is challenging the election of Governor Mbah, a second Respondent in the petition on the grounds of submitting a forged NYSC discharge certificate, among others.
However, delivering judgment on Thursday on the petition, the tribunal struck out the argument regarding the alleged forgery of the NYSC certificate, saying, "NYSC discharge certificate is not a qualification for governorship."
The court queried: "Assuming that the NYSC discharge certificate of the second Respondent as claimed by the Petitioners was forged, is NYSC certificate a qualification to contest for governor in Nigeria according to the constitution? The answer is no."
The tribunal consequently struck out the ground. It also held that some of the witnesses of the Petitioners were not accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) therefore their testimonies cannot be reliable.