Appeal Court Upholds Conviction of Professor Imprisoned for Rigging Akpabio's Election

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By John Obe 


The conviction of Peter Ogban, a professor imprisoned in 2021 for sabotaging an election for a Senate seat for Godswill Akpabio, a senator from Akwa Ibom State, was upheld by the Court of Appeal in Calabar on Wednesday.  

Mr. Akpabio is the president of the Nigerian Senate and a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).  After losing an election due to electoral tampering, he ran again in 2023, won, and was elected Senate president.

A State High Court in Uyo sentenced Mr. Ogban, a soil science professor at the University of Calabar and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West District, to three years in prison for declaring fictitious election results in two local government areas, Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo, in favor of Mr. Akpabio.

In order to provide the APC an unfair advantage over its primary challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ogban had explained to the Uyo trial court how the election results were manipulated.  For example, the APC's election score in Oruk Anam was boosted by almost 5,000 bogus votes.

After leaving the PDP, Mr. Akpabio was requesting to rejoin the Senate.  Mr. Akpabio lost the election, which was marred by isolated incidents of violence, to Chris Ekpenyong, the PDP candidate and a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State.  In the historic case, INEC brought charges against Mr. Agban.  

Prior to his sentencing, the professor begged Judge Augustine Odokwo for mercy.  Referring to the situation as new, Justice Odokwo informed the lecturer that he had little choice but to let the law work itself out.  According to him, the prosecution proved its case against Mr. Ogban beyond a reasonable doubt.

John Obe

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