Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, yesterday, closed his defence to the petition, which the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Chijioke Edeoga, filed to nullify his election.
Edoga is praying the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu to disqualify Mbah over alleged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate forgery and manipulation of election results.
Mbah, through his counsel, Bode Ola, closed his defence after he presented his current Chief of Staff, Victor Ude, to testify before the tribunal.
Ude’s appearance, yesterday, brought the number of Mbah’s witnesses to three, having presented Festus Uzor and a Department of State Services (DSS) official, on Wednesday.
In his evidence, Ude tendered Mbah’s NYSC letters of redeployment, deferment and reinstatement to conclude his service year after completing his law school programme.
He also tendered the governor’s approval letter to continue his youth service and the final clearance letter after completing the programme, among others.
The LP’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, objected to admissibility of the documents, saying he would give him reasons in their final address.
During cross examination, the witness said that there was a letter from NYSC, which stated that Mbah should be reinstated.
Ude, however, said he was not aware of the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) reply on NYSC’s investigation in March, 2023.
Awomolo insisted that there was no evidence of delivery and acknowledgment of the letters from NYSC.
He said: “As a lawyer, you know the importance of delivery and acknowledgment of official letters to government departments.”
Awomolo said that by the witness’ letter, Mbah was to conclude his NYSC on September 16, 2003, the same time he was serving in office as Chief of Staff.
He said that in 2007, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged the witness with Mbah for money laundering at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
As Edeoga’s counsel tendered the charge in suit number FH/C/09/07, the respondents’ counsels objected to admissibility of the document, saying they would articulate their reasons in their final addresses. The tribunal admitted the document as evidence.
The chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice M.K Akano, adjourned the sitting until August 16 for adoption of final written addresses.
