The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has been summoned to appear before a Magistrate Court in Abuja over allegations of age falsification and perjury.
The summons follows a lawsuit filed by Honesty Aginbatse, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on September 12. The suit accuses Okpebholo of submitting inconsistent birth dates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the suit, Okpebholo’s Senate nomination form for the 2023 elections listed his birth date as March 29, 1970. However, his governorship nomination form submitted to INEC declared his birth date as August 29, 1970.
Further discrepancies were found in his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate, which recorded his birth date as August 29, 1972, and on his INEC voter card, where the birth date was listed as August 1, 1977.
Aginbatse argued that these inconsistencies violate Section 182.1(d) of the Nigerian Constitution, which disqualifies candidates with forged documents from holding public office.
Magistrate Abubakar Mukhtar adjourned the case to September 20, when Okpebholo is expected to appear beforet he court.
