The legal team of the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 2023 governorship election, Okey Ahiwe, says the inability of the state governor, Alex Otti, to produce his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate is a prove that he is not qualified to be governor.

The Abia PDP legal team also described as strange, the failure of Governor Otti to produce his NYSC discharge certificate or exemption letter.

The legal team, in a statement on Saturday, July 15, 2023, said it was strange for Otti to include an NYSC reference letter after he had submitted his university degree on oath to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without the usual accompanying NYSC discharge certificate or exemption letter.

Recall that the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal recently rounded off with pre-hearing as parties adopted their issues for determination.

The PDP however said it has uncovered a plot by the Labour Party (LP) to keep delaying proceedings with endless applications.

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Analysts said it was strange that the LP is challenging the Enugu State Governor’s NYSC certificate, but the Abia Labour Party lawyers are saying the NYSC certificate or exemption letter is not a constitutional requirement to contest the governorship election.

The tribunal, on July 14, 2023, adjourned to July 19 for a report of pre-hearing and subsequently enters the hearing proper.

In the last proceeding on the date, the motion on Otti’s refusal, neglect or inability to submit either his NYSC discharge certificate or exemption letter was reserved for the day of judgement by the court.

Otti in his reply admitted that he did not front-load the said discharge certificate or exemption letter from NYSC, because it was a reference letter that NYSC gave him.

From Otti’s reply, the petitioners prayed the tribunal to hold that he was not qualified ab initio to contest the governorship election, “as the said reference letter is not only strange but also abnormal”.

The petitioner added Otti does not have an NYSC certificate or exemption letter and did not include any in the documents submitted to INEC and also front-loaded to the tribunal.

The Star