The Court of Appeal in Calabar has upheld the conviction and three-year prison sentence of Professor Peter Ogban, who was earlier jailed for manipulating election results in favor of Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the 2019 general elections.
The appellate court, in a strongly worded judgment delivered on Wednesday, reaffirmed the decision of the State High Court in Uyo, which found Prof. Ogban guilty of falsifying results in two local government areas—Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo—in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District. The manipulation aimed to benefit Akpabio, who was then contesting to return to the Senate under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
You May Also Want to Read: Tensions Escalate as Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan Petitions Senate Over Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Akpabio.
Legal experts present at the appellate hearing said the court not only upheld the original conviction but also condemned Prof. Ogban’s unethical conduct, especially given his academic standing as a university professor.
A Shocking Betrayal of Public Trust.
Prof. Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar and the official returning officer for the senatorial district, was earlier sentenced in 2021 after admitting that he doctored results to give the APC a clear advantage over its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His manipulation added about 5,000 fake votes to the APC’s tally in Oruk Anam alone.
During his trial, Ogban confirmed under cross-examination that he knowingly altered official election documents. He admitted that he filled the final result sheet (Form EC8E1) based on figures “read out” to him, rather than referencing the actual constituency results (Form EC8D1) as required by electoral law.
Justice Augustine Odokwo, who presided over the initial trial, described the case as “novel” and emphasized that the evidence presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was overwhelmingly convincing. Ogban was also fined ₦100,000.
More Read
The Beneficiary: Now Senate President.
At the time of the fraudulent election, Godswill Akpabio was seeking re-election to the Senate after defecting from the PDP to the APC. Despite the manipulated results, Akpabio lost to PDP candidate Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom. However, he later returned to contest and win the seat in the 2023 elections and now serves as Senate President.
You May Also Want to Read: Saraki to Akpabio: Don’t Use Ethnic Politics to Dodge Serious Allegations.
The court’s ruling reopens public scrutiny over how electoral fraud aided high-profile politicians and undermined democratic processes. Though Akpabio was not prosecuted in connection with the rigging, the fact that the manipulated results were intended to benefit him has reignited debate about political accountability in Nigeria.
Pattern of Academic Involvement in Election Fraud.
Prof. Ogban is not alone. Another academic, Prof. Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, was also sentenced to three years in prison for a similar offense. Uduk was convicted of announcing false results and perjury during the 2019 general elections in Essien Udim State Constituency, also in favor of an APC candidate aligned with Akpabio.
INEC prosecuted both cases as part of its push to uphold electoral integrity and deter manipulation by election officials, especially those drawn from academia.
