Appeal Court affirms conviction of professor jailed for election rigging in Akwa Ibom

The Court of Appeal in Calabar, on Wednesday, affirmed the conviction of Prof. Peter Ogban, a university lecturer who was jailed in 2021 for rigging a senatorial election in Akwa Ibom State.

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.

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.

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).

Some 5,000 fake votes were said to be added to the APC’s score in Oruk Anam in the election.

Before his sentencing, the professor pleaded for mercy from the judge, Augustine Odokwo.

Justice Odokwo, who described the case as novel, told the lecturer that there was not much he could do other than let the law take its course.

He said the prosecution was able to prove its case against Ogban, beyond any reasonable doubt.

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 also jailed for three years.