The Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has issued an order for Governor Peter Mbah to appear before it to testify about the alleged forgery of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.

The order was made in response to an application by the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) through their counsel, Mr. Alex Amujiogo.

Governor Mbah, who was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is facing challenges from the Labour Party candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, and the PRP candidate, Elder Christopher Agu, regarding the alleged forgery of his NYSC certificate.

During the tribunal hearing, the PRP’s counsel stated that Mbah had been subpoenaed to appear in court but had not been properly served the summons.

As a result, an application was made for a substituted service of the summons through Mbah’s counsel.

Although the application was opposed by the respondents, including INEC, Mbah, and the Peoples Democratic Party, the Tribunal overruled their objections.

Consequently, the Chairman of the Panel ordered that the subpoena be served on Mbah through his counsel, and he was directed to appear before the Tribunal on June 23, 2023.

In the same session, the PRP governorship candidate testified before the Tribunal, and an official from the NYSC’s National Secretariat presented an affidavit stating that a Federal High Court in Abuja had prohibited them from providing a disclaimer regarding Mbah’s certificate.

The PRP’s lawyer expressed that they urge the Tribunal to set aside the election results in favor of their candidate and highlighted the challenges they faced in serving the subpoena to Mbah.

The case filed by the Labour Party candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, concerning Mbah’s alleged certificate forgery was also addressed during the Tribunal session, and the interlocutory application was moved for ruling.

The proceedings continue, and the Tribunal will rule on the pending applications and pre-trial report on a later date.