Appeal Court upholds conviction of professor jailed for rigging election for Akpabio

The Court of Appeal in Calabar, on Wednesday, upheld the conviction of Peter Ogban, a professor jailed in 2021 for rigging a senatorial election for Godswill Akpabio, a senator from Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is the president of the Nigerian Senate. The rigging happened in an election he lost before he contested again in 2023, won the election, and was elected the Senate president.

Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West District, was jailed for three years by a State High Court in Uyo for announcing fake election results in two local government areas – Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo – in Akpabio’s favour.

Apart from affirming Ogban’s conviction and three-year jail term, the court frowned at his role as a university professor in the fraudulent manipulation of election results.

The PDP candidate in that election, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, defeated Mr Akpabio in the election, which was gripped by pockets of violence.

Before his sentencing, the professor pleaded for mercy from the judge, Augustine Odokwo.

Justice Odokwo, who described the case as novel, told the lecturer that there was not much he could do other than let the law take its course.

He said the prosecution was able to prove its case against Ogban, beyond any reasonable doubt.

Another professor, Ignatius Uduk, was recently jailed by a State High Court in Uyo for election fraud.

Uduk, a professor of Human Kinetics in the Department of Physical and Health Education at the University of Uyo, was jailed for three years.

INEC prosecuted him on three charges: announcement of false election results, publication of false results, and perjury during the 2019 general elections in Essien Udim State Constituency, where he served as INEC’s collation and returning officer.

The professor falsified the election results to the advantage of the APC candidate, Nse Ntuen, who was then an ally of Akpabio.

However, Uduk was recently granted bail by a State High Court in Uyo.