Edo election: Court summons APC candidate over age falsification

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo

A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abuja has summoned the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to appear before it over alleged age falsification.

Okpebholo is charged with forgery and perjury.

The suit filed by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Honesty Aginbatse, on Thursday, September 12, 2024, alleged discrepancies in the birth dates provided in the nomination forms Okpebholo submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Aginbatse alleged that Okpebholo’s 2023 Senate nomination form listed his birth date as March 29, 1970.

He added that, however, Okpebholo‘s 2024 governorship nomination forms contained August 29, 1970, age declaration form and August 29, 1972, on his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.

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Aginbatse also alleged that Okpebholo has August 1, 1977, as his date of birth on his INEC voter card.

He stated that Under Section 182.1 (d) of the Nigerian Constitution, a conviction for offences involving dishonesty or fraud disqualifies a person from running for governor, raising questions about Okpebholo’s eligibility if convicted.

Magistrate Abubakar Mukhtar, however, adjourned the case until September 20.

Okpebholo is to appear before Magistrate Mukhtar over the alleged age falsification on September 20.

The Star