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 charges, filed by PDP Chieftain Chief Honesty Aginbatse, stem from discrepancies in the birth dates provided in the nomination forms he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Sen. Okpebholo is to appear before the judge on the 20th of September, barely 24 hours before the Edo governorship elections.
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 West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate, and August 1, 1977 on his INEC voter’s card.
The allegations, first raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (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 4 different dates of birth under oath. The APC too owe Edo citizens a public apology for fielding such a candidate.”
As the Edo governorship race heats up, the political fallout from the allegations against Okpebholo is yet to be fully determined. Attempts to reach the senator for comment were unsuccessful.