Chief Obodoeze Chukwuma Ocho, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Enugu State, has written to the Inspector‑General of Police (IGP) demanding an investigation into Governor Peter Mbah’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
The petition, dated 20 October 2026, was sent through Ocho’s solicitor, Ejikeme Ignatius Ugwu of Ejike Ugwu & Associates. It requests a discreet probe into the authenticity of the certificate that Governor Mbah submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2022.
According to the letter, the certificate in question bears the number LA/FRN/01/808297. In a Freedom of Information Act request dated 23 November 2022, the law firm Omas & Partners sought clarification from the NYSC Director‑General on the certificate’s validity. The NYSC replied on 1 February 2023, signed by Ibrahim A. Muhammad, confirming that the certificate had not been issued by the corps. The Director‑General later reiterated this position in an interview with Arise Television.
Ocho argues that, although the governor enjoys constitutional immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, amended, this does not bar the police from investigating alleged criminal conduct. He cites the Supreme Court judgment in Chief Gani Fawehinmi v. Inspector‑General of Police (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt. 767) 606 to support the view that immunity does not preclude an investigation.
Expressing concern that failure to investigate could send the wrong signal to younger Nigerians, Ocho urges the IGP to launch a discreet inquiry into the certificate’s authenticity.
The controversy resurfaced after a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja three years ago, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, upheld the certificate’s authenticity. The court found that Governor Mbah had properly completed the one‑year programme from 2001 to 2003, after obtaining permission from the NYSC to attend the Nigerian Law School. It held that the NYSC had misrepresented facts when claiming the certificate was not issued, and awarded the governor N5 million in damages against the NYSC.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>