An High Court in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced Professor Peter Ogban of the University of Calabar to three years in prison for announcing false elections result during the 2019 general elections.
The professor was accused of manipulating elections result from Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas during the senatorial elections in Akwa-Ibom North-West in 2019 when he was serving as a returning officer.
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the prosecutor, informed the court that Prof Ogban tampered with the election results in favour of the All Progressive Congress, APC, against the opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The elections result was reportedly manipulated to favour APC candidate Godswill Akpabio, who was seeking reelection to the Senate.
It was earlier reported by newsmen that the Ogban had earlier told the court how the result of the elections were manipulated to give the APC an unfair advantage over PDP.
The PDP’s candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor in Akwa Ibom State, defeated Mr Akpabio in the election, gripped by violence pockets.
Chris Ekpenyong, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP candidate, defeated Mr Akpabio in the elections, which were rigged by acts of violence.
Akpabio was later appointed the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs by President Muhammadu Buhari.
