A Magistrates’ Court in Abuja has summoned Senator 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 Sept 12 alleged 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.