Duoye Diri, the new Bayelsa State governor, has said his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, cannot be prosecuted for certificate forgery.
Mr Ewhrudjakpor is accused of forging the exemption certificate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) bearing his name.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has also ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the claim.
But speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, the governor said the name of his deputy was misspelled wrongly.
Describing the suit as a no case, Diri said Ewhrudjakpor will not be prosecuted “because he now enjoys immunity,” having been sworn-in into office before the case was instituted.
In Nigeria, the president, vice president, state governors and their deputies are constitutionally shielded from prosecution while in office. However, they can be investigated.
The Bayelsa official as christened himself as a miracle governor.
“I christen myself a miracle governor. At a point everybody gave up. We were the only party (PDP) the APC could not approach. We filed in court. The only place we had hope was in the judiciary,” he said.
“The case between APC and APC was thrown out. The APC applauded the Supreme Court and on Thursday February 13, 2020 the hammer came.
“There were those who said there will be no governor in Bayelsa State. To the glory of God Bayelsa State has a governor. I am indeed a miracle governor,” Diri added.
Diri was sworn in as Bayelsa State Governor on February 14, 2020 following the Supreme Court’s disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, David Lyon and his deputy, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, over discrepancies in Degi-Eremienyo name.
