An Akwa-Ibom State High Court on Thursday sentenced a university professor, Peter Ogban to three years in prison for election fraud.
He was found guilty of fraudulent manipulation of election results, publishing and announcing false results and was, however, asked by the court to pay the sum of N100,000 as a fine.
Prof Ogban, a University of Calabar (UNICAL) Professor of the Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West District, was charged for manipulating the election results of two local government areas – Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo.
In a previous court session, Mr Ogban had told the court how the results of the election were falsified to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an unfair advantage over its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to reports, some 5,000 fake votes were added to the APC’s score in Oruk Anam, in the election.
Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, was the APC candidate in the election. He was seeking a return to the Senate after he defected from the PDP.
The PDP candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor in Akwa Ibom State, defeated Mr Akpabio in the election, which was gripped by pockets of violence.
Prof Ogban was prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the landmark case.
The university lecturer, before his sentencing, pleaded for mercy from the judge, Augustine Odokwo.
Justice Odokwo, who described the case as a novel one, told the lecturer that there was not much he could do other than to let the law take its course.
He said the prosecution was able to prove its case against Prof Ogban, beyond any reasonable doubt.
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