Edo guber: Court summons Okpebholo over ‘age falsification’

A magistrate court in Abuja has summoned Monday Okpebholo, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo, over allegations of forgery and perjury. 

In the suit, Honesty Aginbatse, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged discrepancies in the birth dates submitted by Okpebholo to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He also alleged that Okpebholo’s 2023 senate nomination form indicated his birth date as March 29, 1970.

He added that Okpebholo’s 2024 governorship nomination forms contain conflicting birth dates: August 29, 1970, on an age declaration, August 29, 1972, on his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate, and August 1, 1977, on his INEC voter’s card.

The APC candidate will appear before Abubakar Mukhtar, the presiding magistrate, on September 20, which is about 24 hours before the Edo state governorship poll.

“Edo state cannot have questionable characters in public office,” Aginbatse told journalists in Abuja on Friday.

“Okpebholo must come to tell the judge why he filed for different dates of birth under oath. The APC too owe Edo citizens a public apology for fielding such a candidate.”

The governorship election in Edo is scheduled for September 21, and Okpebholo is up against Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the PDP, Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), and 14 others.