BREAKING: Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction of Professor Who Rigged Election for Akpabio—3 Years in Prison

By Emmanuel Kwada

In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Calabar upheld the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, a University of Calabar academic, sentencing him to three years in prison for rigging the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District election in favor of Godswill Akpabio, now Nigeria’s Senate President.

The decision reaffirms the judiciary’s stance against electoral fraud, though it reignites debate over accountability for those who benefit from such acts.

Ogban, a professor of soil science, was first convicted in March 2021 by the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Ikot Ekpene after evidence showed he manipulated election results as the returning officer for the senatorial poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prosecuted him for falsifying vote counts, including adding 5,000 fake votes to boost Akpabio’s tally against his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Christopher Ekpenyong.

The court condemned his conduct in strong terms, citing the grave implications of such acts by someone entrusted with safeguarding the democratic process

Despite the fraud, Ekpenyong was declared the winner, though Akpabio later secured the Senate seat in a 2023 election and rose to become Senate President.

The appellate court’s ruling today dismissed Ogban’s appeal, affirming the lower court’s findings that he abused his position to undermine Nigeria’s electoral integrity. “The court condemned his conduct in strong terms, citing the grave implications of such acts by someone entrusted with safeguarding the democratic process,” a legal source familiar with the case told reporters. The three-year sentence, originally handed down in 2021, stands without alteration.

The professor’s actions canceled his lawful votes, forcing him to challenge the results up to the Court of Appeal, which ordered a rerun in Essien Udim

Akpabio has consistently denied involvement in the rigging, claiming he was a victim of electoral manipulation by Ogban and INEC officials. In a 2021 statement, he argued that the professor’s actions canceled his lawful votes, forcing him to challenge the results up to the Court of Appeal, which ordered a rerun in Essien Udim.

Critics, however, point to evidence from the trial showing Ogban’s alterations favored Akpabio, raising questions about why only the professor faces punishment while the political figure linked to the fraud holds one of Nigeria’s highest offices.

As Nigeria grapples with electoral reform ahead of future polls, today’s decision underscores both progress and persistent challenges in rooting out corruption. For now, Professor Ogban heads to prison, while the controversy surrounding Akpabio’s political ascent continues to simmer.