A Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja has summoned Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2024 Edo State elections, to respond to charges of forgery and perjury.
The complainant, a PDP chieftain, Chief Honesty Aginbatse, said there is discrepancy in the birth date provided in the nomination forms he submitted to INEC.
Okpebholo is to appear before the judge on Sept. 20.
Investigations revealed that Okpebholo’s 2023 Senate nomination form listed his birth date as March 29, 1970. However, his 2024 governorship nomination forms contain conflicting birth dates: August 29, 1970 on an age declaration, August 29, 1972 on his WAEC certificate, and August 1, 1977 on his INEC voter’s card.
The allegations, first raised by the PDP have prompted a call for criminal investigations into possible forgery in Okpebholo’s documents.
Under Section 182.1 (d) of the Nigerian Constitution, a conviction for offenses involving dishonesty or fraud disqualifies a person from running for governor, raising questions about Okpebholo’s eligibility if convicted.
A senior INEC official, while declining to comment on the candidate’s case, noted that false statements in official documents could lead to disqualification if upheld by the courts. However, the electoral body emphasized its neutral stance in the ongoing controversy.
Chief Aginbatse, in responding to enquiries by the media, stated that no one is above the law. “Edo state cannot have characters of questionable character in public office. Sen. Okpebholo must come to tell the judge why he filed four different dates of birth under oath. The APC too owe Edo citizens a public apology for fielding such a candidate,” he said.
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