CALABAR — The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar on Wednesday affirmed the conviction and three-year jail sentence handed to Professor Peter Ogban, a former INEC returning officer who manipulated the outcome of the 2019 senatorial election in favour of Godswill Akpabio, now President of the Nigerian Senate.
Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar, was found guilty of election fraud in 2021 by a State High Court in Uyo for falsifying results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas, both in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.
The court found that over 5,000 votes were illegally added to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate’s tally, while votes for his main opponent were suppressed.
Akpabio, who was seeking re-election at the time under the APC banner after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the 2019 election to Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State. However, he successfully contested again in 2023 and now serves as the Senate President.
The appellate court, in its decision on Wednesday, expressed strong disapproval of Ogban’s actions, particularly given his position as an academic.
A lawyer involved in the case told PREMIUM TIMES that the court viewed the professor’s conduct as a grave betrayal of public trust, stating that university dons must be held to a higher standard, especially when serving in sensitive electoral roles.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prosecuted the case, which is considered a landmark in Nigeria’s efforts to combat electoral malpractice.
During the original trial, Ogban admitted to altering results to favour the APC and pleaded for leniency. But trial judge Augustine Odokwo ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, declaring the offence too serious to warrant clemency.
Ogban is not alone among academics facing consequences for election rigging. Another university lecturer, Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, was also convicted in a separate case for similar offences.
Uduk, who served as a returning officer for the 2019 State House of Assembly election in Essien Udim, was jailed for three years after being found guilty of falsifying results in favour of APC candidate Nse Ntuen, an ally of Akpabio. He was recently granted bail pending appeal.
The convictions of Professors Ogban and Uduk mark a turning point in Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence, as INEC continues to push for accountability and integrity in its recruitment of ad-hoc election officials, many of whom are drawn from the academic community.