A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abuja has summoned the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo In the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
New Telegraph reports that the court summoned the APC candidate to appear before it over alleged age falsification.
It would be recalled that Okpebholo is charged with forgery and perjury in a suit filed by a PDP chieftain, Honesty Aginbatse, on Sept 12 alleging discrepancies in the birth dates provided in the nomination forms Okpebholo submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Sen. Okpebholo is to appear before Magistrate Abubakar Mukhtar on Sept 20.
Aginbatse alleged that Okpebholo’s 2023 Senate nomination form listed his birth date as March 29, 1970.
He added that Okpebholo‘s 2024 governorship nomination forms contained Aug. 29, 1970, in an age declaration form while Aug. 29, 1972, was listed 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 offences involving dishonesty or fraud disqualifies a person from running for governor, raising questions about Okpebholo’s eligibility if convicted.