A High Court in Akwa-Ibom State, on Thursday, sentenced Professor Peter Ogban to three years in prison for election fraud.

The court found the professor guilty of fraudulent manipulation of election results, publishing and announcing false results. The court also asked the professor to pay a fine of N100,000.

Premium Times reports that Ogban, a professor of soil science at, the University of Calabar, 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).

For instance, 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.

Mr 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. (Nigerian Tribune)

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