The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar has affirmed the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, who was jailed in 2021 for manipulating senatorial election results in favour of Senator Godswill Akpabio, now the President of the Nigerian Senate.
Professor Ogban, a lecturer in soil science at the University of Calabar and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections, was found guilty of falsifying results in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.
He was convicted by a State High Court in Uyo for altering vote figures in two local government areas — Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo — to benefit Mr. Akpabio, who at the time was seeking a Senate seat under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite Mr. Akpabio losing that 2019 election to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, Professor Ogban’s actions were deemed a serious breach of electoral trust.
The appellate court, in its ruling on Wednesday, expressed disappointment in the professor’s conduct, stressing that someone of his academic stature should have upheld integrity rather than engage in election fraud.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which prosecuted the case, successfully argued that Ogban’s manipulation included adding as many as 5,000 phantom votes to the APC’s tally in Oruk Anam.
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Justice Augustine Odokwo, who initially sentenced Ogban, had described the case as “novel” and emphasized that the evidence presented left no room for doubt.
The appellate ruling comes amid growing scrutiny of the role academics have played in Nigeria’s election process.
Just recently, another professor, Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, was also jailed for similar offences involving the falsification of election results during the 2019 polls in Essien Udim.
While Uduk has been granted bail, the affirmation of Ogban’s sentence is being seen by observers as a reaffirmation of judicial resolve to hold electoral offenders accountable — regardless of status.
The case continues to draw attention, particularly due to its connection to Senator Akpabio, who despite the 2019 setback, returned in 2023 to reclaim a Senate seat and eventually rose to become Senate President.