High Court in Akwa Ibom state has sentenced Peter Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar to three years in prison for fraudulent manipulation of election results.
Ogban, who was the returning officer in Senatorial Election held in Akwa Ibom north-west in 2019, was prosecuted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a State High Court in Ikot Ekpene, Calabar.
The court found him guilty of altering the results of the election to favour All Progressives Congress (APC) against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ogban was also accused of publishing and announcing false results in two local government areas – Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo.
On count one, the presiding judge, Augustine Odokwo ordered him to pay a fine of N100,000 while on count two he was sentenced to three years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
In a previous court session, Ogban told the court how results of the election were falsified to give the APC an unfair advantage over the PDP.
Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, was APC candidate in the election. He was seeking a return to the Senate after defecting from the PDP.
However, PDP candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor in Akwa Ibom State, defeated Akpabio in the election which was marred by pockets of violence.
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 beyond any reasonable doubt.
