By OBSERVERS TIMES
The Court of Appeal in Calabar has affirmed the conviction and three-year jail term of Professor Peter Ogban, who was found guilty of manipulating election results in favor of Godswill Akpabio during the 2019 senatorial election in Akwa Ibom North-West District.
The appellate court, in its ruling on Wednesday, strongly condemned Professor Ogban’s conduct, emphasizing the severity of his actions as a university professor entrusted with electoral duties. This was revealed by a lawyer involved in the case.
Professor Ogban, a soil science expert from the University of Calabar, was initially convicted by a State High Court in Uyo for announcing fabricated results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas, aiming to secure victory for Mr. Akpabio, then a senatorial candidate.
Godswill Akpabio, now the Senate President and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), contested the election, which he initially lost to Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later won a senate seat in 2023.
Evidence presented at the trial court in Uyo showed that Professor Ogban falsified results, including adding approximately 5,000 fictitious votes for the APC in Oruk Anam.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prosecuted Professor Ogban, who pleaded for leniency before Justice Augustine Odokwo. The judge, however, stated that the law had to take its course, citing the overwhelming evidence against the professor.
This case follows the recent conviction of another professor, Ignatius Uduk, of the University of Uyo, who was also jailed for three years for electoral fraud in the 2019 Essien Udim State Constituency election, where he manipulated results in favor of the APC candidate, Nse Ntuen, a political ally of Akpabio at the time.
Professor Uduk has since been granted bail by a State High Court in Uyo.
A former senior INEC official confirmed the Appeal Court’s decision, highlighting the commission’s commitment to prosecuting electoral offenders.
