Forgery: Panic as Bayelsa deputy gov opens defence Thursday
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, will on Thursday open his defence at the state’s Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The petitioner, Vijah Opuama, who contested the November 16, 2019 governorship election on the platform of the Liberation Movement, a party that was later deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission in February this year, had asked the tribunal to disqualify Ewhrujakpo for alleged forgery of a National Youth Service Corps exemption certificate.
He also urged the tribunal to cancel the November 16, 2019 governorship election and order a fresh poll.
The three-man tribunal led by Justice Ibrahim Sirajo fixed Thursday for Ewhrudjakpo to open his defence after Opuama concluded his case on Tuesday.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Mr Pius Danba, closed his client’s case on Tuesday with three witnesses out of the 30 he proposed to call to prove the case.
Ewhrudjakpo’s lawyer, Mr Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), said the alleged forgery of the NYSC certificate was nothing but a mere human error. Punch
