…Begs apex court to redeem image of NYSC
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has urged the Supreme Court to deliver justice in the case of its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Peter Mbah in the Enugu State governorship election.
The party made the appeal on Monday, during a press conference at its National Secretariat in Abuja.
LP National Secretary, Umar Farouk, who presided over the briefing, pleaded with the Apex Court to administer justice, pointing out that it is the party’s last resort and the people of Enugu’s only hope.
Farouk reiterated that the ruling of various Election tribunals and the Court of Appeal against LP gubernatorial candidate, Edeoga, and some members of the party-state legislators in Enugu state did not reflect the electoral position of the people of Enugu state.
He claimed many political and judicial watchdogs were left in disbelief after the Court of Appeal in Lagos and the Election Tribunal in Enugu rejected the LP’s convincing proof that it had won the March 8, 2024, gubernatorial.
The party chieftain insisted that Mbah at the time of the election was not qualified to contest into the office of Governor of Enugu State having allegedly presented a forged NYSC discharge Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said: “contravention of Section 182(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution As Amended. Evidence to prove this came from the NYSC Director of Certification who was subpoenaed by the tribunal to say that Mbah was parading a forged NYSC certificate. Earlier before this the Director General of the NYSC Brig Gen. Y.D. Ahmed had gone on national Television, ARISE TV to say that Mbah was parading a forged NYSC certificate.”
He also said that the party had several witness statements confirming over-voting, the act of non-compliance complained by its candidate in Nkanu East and Igboeze North LGAs as well as the failure of INEC to cancel the results in places where there were incidences of over-voting as demanded by the Electoral Act.
Farouk regretted that such weighty evidences were
rejected by the tribunal and court of Appeal as not enough, while calling on the Apex Court to look judiciously at all the evidence and the law in the Enugu case and do Justice.
He warned that the court demonstrating anything short of that would undermine the will and desire of Enugu people as demonstrated in their voting pattern in the election, legalize forgery of the NYSC and other certificates as well as damage the image of the NYSC as an institution.
“NYSC as a credible national institution in the country will be destroyed and the military who oversees the NYSC as a paramilitary body will be dented.
“Our Appeal therefore is for the Apex Court to look judiciously at all the evidence and the law in the Enugu case and do Justice and nothing short of that.” He pleaded.