A magistrates’ court in Abuja has summoned Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2024 Edo elections, to appear before it over alleged age falsification.

He is charged with forgery and perjury.

The suit, filed by a PDP chieftain, Honesty Aginbatse, on September 12, alleged discrepancies in the birth dates provided in the nomination forms Mr Okpebholo submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Okpebholo is to appear before Magistrate Abubakar Mukhtar on September 20.

Mr Aginbatse had alleged that Mr Okpebholo’s 2023 Senate nomination form listed his birthday as March 29, 1970.

He said Mr Okpebholo‘s 2024 governorship nomination forms, however, contained August 29, 1970, an age declaration form and August 29, 1972, on his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.

Mr Aginbatse also alleged that Mr Okpebholo had August 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 Mr Okpebholo’s eligibility if convicted.

(NAN)