The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Enugu State, Chief Obodoeze Chukwuma Ocho, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, demanding an investigation into Governor Peter Mbah’s National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, discharge certificate.
Ocho wrote the letter through his solicitor, Ejikeme Ignatius Ugwu of Ejike Ugwu & Associates.
He is urging the police chief to order a discreet investigation into the authenticity of the NYSC certificate submitted by Mbah to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in 2022.
In the petition dated October 20, 2026, the lawyer alleged that the governor submitted a National Service certificate bearing number LA/FRN/01/808297 to INEC.
According to the petition, Omas & Partners had, in a letter dated November 23, 2022, approached the Director-General of NYSC under the Freedom of Information Act, seeking clarification on the authenticity and legal status of the certificate.
The petition stated that the NYSC, in its response dated February 1, 2023, and signed by Ibrahim A. Muhammad, confirmed that the certificate was not issued by the corps.
It further stated that the then Director-General of NYSC reiterated the organisation’s position during an interview with Arise Television, maintaining that the certificate allegedly presented by Mbah did not emanate from the corps.
Ocho, through his lawyer, argued that although the governor enjoys constitutional immunity from criminal prosecution under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, such immunity does not prevent the police from investigating allegations of criminal conduct.
The petition cited the Supreme Court judgment in Chief Gani Fawehinmi v. Inspector-General of Police (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt. 767) 606, which the lawyer relied upon to support his argument that constitutional immunity does not preclude the investigation of criminal allegations against a sitting governor.
Expressing concern over the implications of the allegation, Ocho said through his solicitor that failure to investigate the matter could send the wrong signal to younger Nigerians.
He consequently called on the Inspector-General of Police to initiate a discreet investigation into the certificate.
NEWSUNPLUG recalls that the Enugu governor’s NYSC discharge certificate was a controversial issue during the 2023 general elections.
However, in a judgment delivered by a Federal High Court in Abuja, precisely three years ago, it held that the certificate is authentic.
Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the judgment and restrained the NYSC from further refuting the authenticity of the certificate.
According to the judge, the evidence presented before the court showed that Mbah properly participated in the one-year programme from 2001 to 2003, after seeking and receiving permission from NYSC to attend the Nigerian Law School.
The judge held that the NYSC misrepresented facts in its claim that it did not issue the certificate Mbah submitted to the INEC.
Ekwo also awarded N5 million in damages to Mbah against the NYSC.