JUST IN….Nigerian Prof jailed for rigging election results

Professor Peter Ogban was on Thursday sentenced to three years imprisonment by a High Court in Akwa Ibom State.

He was found guilty of fraudulent manipulation of election results, as well as for publishing and announcing fake election results.

He was given an option N100,000 fine.

The convict who was prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a professor of soil science, University of Calabar, and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.

He was charged for manipulating the election results of two local government areas – Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo.

READ ALSO: INEC to begin polling units’ expansion in Nigeria

In a previous court session, the university lecturer told the court how the election results was manipulated to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an additional 5,000 fake votes in the Oruk Anam local government area. .

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 main rival in the election, Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor in Akwa Ibom State, defeated Mr Akpabio in the election.

Ogban had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges and begged the judge, Augustine Odokwo for mercy before his sentence was pronounced.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now