Documents show Edo APC guber candidate Okpebholo submitted forged birth certificate to INEC

Senator Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, submitted falsified birth records to the Independent National Electoral Commission, documents revealed by Peoples Gazette showed.

Mr Okpebholo supplied conflicting dates of birth from a sworn declaration of age and academic records in Form EC-9 (affidavit of personal particulars) he presented to the electoral office as a candidate in the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election. All contenders for elected office are required by law to file Form EC-9.

In his March 24, 2024, submission to INEC, Mr Okpebholo stated under oath that his date of birth was August 29, 1970. This was affirmed in a statutory declaration of age affidavit by his brother, Ojeifo Joseph Okpebholo.

However, in Mr Okpebholo’s West African School Certificate (WASC) result obtained in 2008 and submitted to INEC on March 24, the politician listed his date of birth as August 29, 1972, contradicting the 1970 date in his INEC filings.

In another false filing, Mr Okpebholo’s voter registration profile on the INEC portal showed his date of birth as August 1, 1977, representing a third conflicting date.

Section 29 (6) of the Electoral Act 2022 stipulates that the provision of false information in an affidavit submitted to INEC can disqualify a candidate and their political party from participating in an election. If the determination is made after the election, the candidate who scored the second-highest number of valid votes will be declared the winner.

The latest revelations have sparked concerns within the APC leadership in Abuja, with some party loyalists, including former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole and APC deputy gubernatorial candidate Dennis Idahosa, calling for Mr Okpebholo to withdraw from the race to allow the party to field a replacement candidate before the September poll. The Peoples Democratic Party has also declared Mr Okpebholo ineligible to stand in the election over the falsification, which is common among Nigerian politicians.

An INEC official in Edo State stated that the commission believes the August 1, 1977, date in Mr Okpebholo’s voter registration profile might be his actual date of birth, as it is the only day of the three different dates that falls on a Monday, which may be the reason for his first name.

However, the official noted that INEC is legally bound to remain neutral and that aggrieved parties can approach the courts for redress.

Mr Okpebholo did not return a request for comments. An INEC spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

SOURCE: Peoples Gazette