The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar on Wednesday upheld the conviction and three-year jail sentence of Professor Peter Ogban, who was found guilty of rigging the 2019 senatorial election in Akwa Ibom North-West in favor of Godswill Akpabio, the current Nigerian Senate President and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ogban, a Soil Science professor at the University of Calabar and the returning officer for the election, was originally sentenced by a State High Court in Uyo for announcing fabricated election results in two local government areas-Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo-to unfairly boost Akpabio’s votes. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that approximately 5,000 fake votes were added to the APC’s tally in Oruk Anam, giving the party an illicit advantage over the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The election was initially won by the PDP candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State. However, after the fraudulent manipulation of results, Akpabio contested again in 2023, won the election, and was subsequently elected Senate President.
During the appeal hearing, the court expressed strong disapproval of Ogban’s involvement as an academic in electoral malpractice, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. Ogban had admitted in the original trial how the results were falsified to favor the APC. Despite pleading for leniency before sentencing, the trial judge, Augustine Odokwo, ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the law must take its course.
This case marks a significant precedent in Nigeria’s efforts to combat electoral fraud, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prosecuting Ogban. It follows a similar conviction of another academic, Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, who was jailed for election fraud related to the 2019 general elections in Essien Udim State Constituency. Uduk, who falsified results to benefit an APC candidate allied with Akpabio, was recently granted bail by a state high court.
The upholding of Ogban’s conviction sends a clear message about accountability and the rule of law in Nigeria’s electoral process, highlighting ongoing challenges in ensuring free and fair elections.