THE COURT of Appeal in Calabar has affirmed the conviction and three-year prison sentence of Professor Peter Ogban, a former election official found guilty of manipulating results in the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election to benefit Godswill Akpabio, the current President of the Nigerian Senate.
Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar, served as the returning officer in the disputed election.
In 2021, a High Court in Uyo convicted him for falsifying results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo LGAs, inflating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate’s votes by 5,000.
Despite the rigging, Akpabio, then a defector from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the election to PDP’s Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The appellate court reportedly condemned Ogban’s actions, emphasizing the gravity of an academic’s involvement in electoral fraud.
A lawyer involved in the case confirmed the ruling to PREMIUM TIMES, while a former INEC official also verified the judgment.
During his trial, Ogban admitted to the manipulation and pleaded for leniency, but Justice Augustine Odokwo ruled that the law must take its course, given the overwhelming evidence.
This case is part of a broader crackdown on electoral malpractice in Akwa Ibom. Another professor, Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, was recently sentenced for falsifying results in Essien Udim State Constituency before being granted bail.
The rulings highlight ongoing judicial efforts to hold election officials accountable for fraud, even in politically sensitive cases.
