By Anietie Akpan
The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, has further confirmed the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, jailed in 2021 by the lower court in Akwa Ibom state.
INEC prosecuted Prof Ogban in the landmark case for rigging a senatorial election in Favour of Senator Godswill Akpabio of North-West Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State.
Akpabio, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is now the president of the Nigerian Senate after winning the 2023 elections
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 Akpabio’s favour.
A lawyer who participated in the case at the appellate court told journalists shortly after the judgement that the Court of Appeal, apart from affirming Ogban’s conviction and three-year jail term, frowned at his role as a university professor in the fraudulent manipulation of election results.
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.
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 Akpabio in the election, which was nearly marred by pockets of violence.
Before his sentencing, the professor pleaded for mercy from the judge, Augustine Odokwo who described the case as novel.
He however told the lecturer that there was not much he could do other than let the law take its course noting that the prosecutor (INEC) was able to prove his case against Mr Ogban, “beyond any reasonable doubt”.
Recall, another professor, Ignatius Uduk, was recently jailed by a State High Court in Uyo for election fraud.
Uduk, a professor of Human Kinetics in the Department of Physical and Health Education at the University of Uyo, was jailed for three years.
NEC 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.
That the professor falsified the election results to the advantage of the APC candidate, Nse Ntuen, who was then an ally of Akpabio.
However, Mr Uduk was recently granted bail by a State High Court in Uyo.