...as LP witness confirms Edeoga's PDP membership, participation in PDP guber primary

 By Ayogu Amarachi 

All may not be well in the camp of the Enugu Labour Party, LP, as a witness, Casmir Agbo, the LP chairman in Enugu State called by the governorship candidate of the LP, Mr. Chijioke Edeoga, on Saturday, July 15, told the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the Enugu State governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has NYSC stamp confirming it as genuine.

Recall that on Friday, a subpoenaed witness from INEC, Dr Dimas Friday Emmanuel, called by Edeoga had testified that Mbah's discharge bore the NYSC stamp confirming it was issued by the institution. 

The prosecution witness 26, Agbo, while under cross examination by Mbah’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), was presented with some documents earlier admitted in evidence by the tribunal, and asked to identify if there was a stamp of the NYSC on the said NYSC certificate certifying it. The witness responded in affirmation, saying he could see clearly the stamp of the NYSC on it. 

Again, he was asked the minimum requirement to contest for governor and he maintained that according to the law, it is First School Leaving Certificate. 

“Witness, you are a lawyer, please take a look at Exhibit EPT01/A, B, and C, particularly the NYSC certificate there. That certificate which you claimed was forged by the second respondent has the stamp of NYSC, ” Ikpeazu asked, to which the Labour Party chairman replied yes. 

“Am I correct to say that only qualified lawyers are admitted in the Nigerian Law School?" Again, he said “yes”.

Meanwhile, another witness, Francis Edeh who appeared as PW 27 had equally during cross-examination told the court that Chijioke Edeoga was a former staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and had participated in the PDP primaries held in May, 2022. 

This came after the counsel to the PDP, Alex Iziyon asked him to confirm that Chijioke Edeoga participated in the PDP primary before defecting to the Labour Party. 

"Please, witness, confirm that Chijioke Johnathan Edeoga was a former staunch PDP member and had participated in the PDP primary," Iziyon asked, and Mr. Edeh responded yes. 

The tribunal later adjourned till Sunday for the closing of Edeoga’s case, after granting a new application for the Labour Party to subpoena INEC to appear before the tribunal.