Abubakar Mukhtar, a magistrate in the federal capital territory (FCT), has denied making any order disqualifying Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state.
On September 13, Mukhtar summoned Okpebholo to appear before the court on September 20 to defend himself over an allegation of age falsification.
In the suit, Honesty Aginbatse, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged discrepancies in the birth dates submitted by Okpebholo to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also alleged that Okpebholo’s 2023 senate nomination form indicated his birth date as March 29, 1970.
He added that the APC candidate’s 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.
On Friday, a document widely circulated on social media claimed the magistrate issued an order disqualifying the APC candidate.
However, in a statement, the presiding magistrate described the information as “false and misleading”.
“It is hereby ordered that the general public be informed that the story circulating regarding the purported disqualification of senator Monday Okpebholo from the Edo state governorship election due to age falsification and forgery is entirely false and misleading,” Mukhtar said.
“No judgment has been delivered in this court today, and no verdict has been reached in the above-mentioned case.
“The allegations of age falsification and forgery against Okpebholo are currently under investigation, and the defendant was summoned to appear before this court. The matter remains pending.
“Pursuant to section 133 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, spreading false information is punishable by imprisonment. This will be invoked on the writer and publisher of the fake judgment.”