The Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah has been summoned to appear before the state governorship election petition tribunal tomorrow, Friday 23rd June.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice K. M. Akano gave the order on Thursday as relating to the suit by the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) challenging Mbah’s victory at the March 18 governorship election.
OsunDailyNG reports PRP in its suit is alleging Mbah who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presented a forged National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate as part of documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and therefore ineligible to contest the poll and should be sacked from office.
The PRP counsel, Barr Alex Amujiogo however told the tribunal on Thursday that Mbah was supposed to be in court as a subpoenaed witness but it had been difficult to serve Mbah the summon.
Amujiogo, therefore, moved an application, urging the Tribunal to grant a substituted service of the summon on Mbah through his counsel.
Based on the counsel’s request, the tribunal ordered that the subpoena be served on Mbah through his counsel and that he should appear before the Tribunal tomorrow, June 23, 2023.
The order comes despite the opposition to the move by the lawyers to the three respondents, INEC, Mbah as well as the PDP which were overruled by the tribunal.
During the proceedings on Thursday, the PRP candidate during the governorship election, Christopher Agu testified before the Tribunal as PW2.
An official of the NYSC from the National Secretariat, Abuja, Barr. 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.
Speaking with newsmen after the tribunal’s sitting, the PRP lawyer, said that, “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 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.
“Surprisingly, he was not in the Tribunal today and the bailiff informed the Tribunal that he is invading service, he cannot find him, the security cannot allow him to serve Mbah the subpoena.
“Then, the Tribunal in its own wisdom, after I have applied, has now permitted the bailiff or myself, to now serve Mbah through his counsel, for him to appear before the Tribunal tomorrow, being 23rd of June, 2023 and clarify certain issues against him before the Tribunal and we have already served him the said subpoena through his lawyer, Ik Onuoma today in court.
“So he must obey the summon of the Tribunal by appearing in person tomorrow, Friday.”
