Edo 2024: Court summons APC’s Okpebholo over alleged age falsification
Monday Okpebholo
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Edith Nwapi
A Magistrates’ Court in Abuja has summoned Sen. Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo September 21, 2024 governorship election to defend himself against alleged age falsification.
The Magistrate Abubakar Mukthar asked Okpebholo to appear before him on September 20, a day before the election to defend himself against charges of forgery and perjury.
The summon of the APC candidate followed petition filed before the court by a PDP Chieftain, Honesty Aginbatse, on Sept 12.
Aginbatse had in the petition alleged discrepancies in the birth dates provided in the nomination forms Okpebholo submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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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 Aug. 29, 1970 an an age declaration form and Aug. 29, 1972 on his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.
Aginbatse also alleged that Okpebholo, had Aug. 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 offenses involving dishonesty or fraud disqualifies a person from running for governor, raising questions about Okpebholo’s eligibility if convicted.
(NAN
NEO/SH
