Chief Obodoeze Chukwuma Ocho, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Enugu State, has written to the Inspector-General of Police demanding a discreet investigation into the authenticity of Governor Peter Mbah's National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, discharge certificate. The letter was sent through his solicitor, Ejikeme Ignatius Ugwu of Ejike Ugwu & Associates. Ocho is asking the police chief to order an inquiry into whether the certificate Mbah presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in 2022 was genuine. The petition, dated October 20, 2026, alleges that the certificate bears the number LA/FRN/01/808297 and accuses Mbah of submitting a document that does not originate from the NYSC. According to the petition, Omas & Partners wrote to the Director-General of NYSC on November 23, 2022, under the Freedom of Information Act seeking clarification on the legal status of the certificate. In its response dated February 1, 2023, and signed by Ibrahim A. Muhammad, the NYSC confirmed that the certificate was not issued by the corps. The petition further notes that the then Director-General of NYSC reaffirmed this position during an interview with Arise Television, stating that the certificate allegedly presented by Mbah did not come from the corps. Ocho, through his lawyer, argues that although Governor Mbah 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. He relies on the Supreme Court judgment in Chief Gani Fawehinmi v. Inspector-General of Police (2002) 7 NWLR (Pt.
- 606 to support his position that constitutional immunity does not bar investigations into criminal allegations against a sitting governor. Speaking through his solicitor, Ocho expressed concern that failure to investigate the matter could send the wrong signal to younger Nigerians and urged the Inspector-General of Police to initiate a discreet investigation into the certificate. DAILY POST recalls that the Enugu governor's NYSC discharge certificate was a contentious issue during the 2023 general elections. However, three years ago, a Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment holding that the certificate is authentic. Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that the evidence showed Mbah properly participated in the one-year programme from 2001 to 2003 after obtaining permission from NYSC to attend the Nigerian Law School. The judge found that NYSC had misrepresented facts in claiming it did not issue the certificate Mbah submitted to INEC. Ekwo also awarded N5 million in damages to Mbah against the NYSC.
[2027: Enugu ADC guber candidate, Ocho resurrects Gov Mbah's NYSC certificate controversy](https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/07/2027-enugu-adc-guber-candidate- ocho-resurrects-gov-mbahs-nysc-certificate-controversy/)