Court of Appeal Upholds 3-Year Jail Term for Professor Who Rigged 2019 Election for Akpabio
The Court of Appeal in Calabar has upheld the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, who was sentenced to three years in prison for manipulating election results during the 2019 general elections in favor of Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Joseph Oyewole reaffirmed the ruling of the Akwa Ibom State High Court and sharply criticized Professor Ogban, emphasizing that the prestigious academic rank “is not one easily attained and certainly not by fools.”
Professor Ogban, a soil science lecturer at the University of Uyo, was found guilty of falsifying election figures in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas to benefit Akpabio, who was seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC). Despite these efforts, Akpabio lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chris Ekpenyong.
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Although convicted, Professor Ogban remains free, a situation many observers blame on systemic flaws in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
During the trial, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented two collation officers who testified that the official results they submitted differed from the manipulated figures published by Ogban. Justice Oyewole affirmed the deliberate and consistent nature of the election tampering.
Ogban’s defense—that he acted based on “verbal pronouncements” rather than written results—was dismissed by the court, which noted his actions fell far below what is expected from an academic of his standing.
Justice Peter Obiorah, another member of the Appeal Court panel, condemned Ogban’s conduct as a “betrayal of public trust” and declared that he “does not deserve any pity or mercy.” He stressed that the ruling should serve as a warning to others involved in the electoral process.
The panel unanimously dismissed Ogban’s appeal, which was based on claims of denial of fair hearing and procedural errors, concluding that he was afforded ample opportunity to defend himself.
The judgement was initially delivered on April 30 and certified on May 27.
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