Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has said, he did not forge his National Youth Service Corps  (NYSC) certificate.

Ewhrudjakpo of the PDP was sworn in as deputy governor of the state after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued a certificate of return to his boss,  Douye Diri, as the elected governor of the state following the Supreme Court judgment disqualifying the former governor-elect, David Lyon of the APC.

Before his swearing-in, Ewhrudjakpo, who was in the Senate representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, was dragged before the court in Lugbe, Abuja over allegations of forgery. 

He accused of presenting a forged NYSC Exemption Certificate with code  No: 139708 dated Feb. 2, 1998, on his nomination form submitted to INEC- a reason the Court ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to investigate the case.   

The plaintiff in the suit and APC chieftain, Benjamin Youdiowei,  alleged that Ewhrudjakpo was still in possession of the document which he continued to use as part of his credentials.

Making clarification on the matter, Ewhrudjakpo through his lawyer Clement Kekemeke, at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday said, the certificate he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is authentic and available for verification.

But the ruling All Progressives Congress in a statement alleged that the embattled deputy governor and his party are scheming to swap the suspected forged certificate with another, to frustrate the matter.  

APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Mr. Yekini Nabena, who made the allegation, however, revealed that unknown to the Bayelsa deputy governor and his party, APC has already obtained the certified true copy of the allegedly forged NYSC certificate.