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

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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.

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Mr 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.

Mr 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 Mr Akpabio’s favour.

A lawyer who participated in the case at the appellate court told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday afternoon that the Court of Appeal, apart from affirming Mr Ogban’s conviction and three-year jail term, frowned at his role as a university professor in the fraudulent manipulation of election results.

The case for hearing was a fundamental human rights enforcement suit she instituted earlier in the month to block EFCC and other law enforcement agencies from arresting her following her being declared wanted last month.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the judge, Inyang Ekwo, ordered EFCC to release Ms Achimugu within 24 hours.

The judge also ordered the agency to report compliance with the order in court on 2 May

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Background

Mr Ogban had told the trial court in Uyo how the election results were falsified to give the APC an unfair advantage over its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

For instance, some 5,000 fake votes were added to the APC’s score in Oruk Anam in the election.

Mr Akpabio was seeking a return to the Senate after he defected from the PDP.

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

INEC prosecuted Mr Agban in the landmark case.

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 Mr Ogban, beyond any reasonable doubt.

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

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

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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 Mr Akpabio.

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