APC chieftain drags Okpebholo to court over age discrepancies, falsification

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Sadiq Ann Sikira, has filed a lawsuit against the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, over allegations of certificate forgery, falsification of age, and perjury.

The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Benin, cites discrepancies in the various dates of birth submitted by Senator Okpebholo during his political career.

On his age declaration document, Monday Okpebholo claimed he was born on August 29th, 1970. On his WAEC results, Monday Okpebholo claimed he was born on August 29th, 1972 whereas, on his INEC voter’s card, Monday Okpebholo said he was born on August 1st, 1977.

The plaintiff, Sadiq Ann Sikira, is challenging Okpebholo’s eligibility to contest the governorship election, citing inconsistencies in the documents the senator provided to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in past and present electoral cycles.

According to court documents dated September 11, 2024, and filed by the plaintiff’s legal team – A. O. Edeki, S. O. Odiase-Esa, A. Osayonwanbor, Edward Aibawgbe Esq, and Jimoh Lawal Esq – Okpebholo is accused of submitting conflicting dates of birth during his senatorial election campaign in 2022 and for his current bid for the governorship of Edo State.

The lawsuit specifically stated that Okpebholo, in an “Affidavit of Correction of Age” sworn on March 31, 2022, declared his date of birth as August 29, 1970. However, the plaintiff alleges that during his senatorial campaign, Okpebholo submitted a different birthdate – March 29, 1970 – on his INEC form, which raised the suspicions about the accuracy and truthfulness of his official records.

In the court filing, the plaintiff argues: “The conflicting dates of birth provided by the 1st Defendant (Okpebholo) undermine his eligibility to run for the office of the Governor of Edo State or any elective office under Nigerian law.”

The plaintiff contends that Okpebholo’s actions amount to perjury, given that he allegedly swore an oath to differing dates of birth in official documents submitted to INEC. The legal team further argues that the nomination of Okpebholo by the APC is null and void due to the irregularities in his credentials.

Specifically, the plaintiff prayed that “The 1st Defendant is not qualified to be nominated or sponsored for election into the office of the Governor of Edo State or any elective office under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other applicable laws,” the lawsuit states.