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Akwa Ibom Professor Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Electoral Fraud

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Akwa Ibom State High Court 2 has sentenced Professor Peter Ogban of the University of Calabar to three years imprisonment for manipulating and falsifying election results in the 2019 elections. As the Collation/Returning Officer during the National Assembly elections, Ogban was found guilty of altering scores in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas to favor the All Progressives Congress (APC). The sentence has been welcomed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which sees it as a warning to individuals who attempt to alter election results.

Key Takeaways:

  • Professor Peter Ogban, a professor of Soil Physics and Conservation at the University of Calabar, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for electoral fraud.
  • Ogban was found guilty of manipulating and falsifying election results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas in 2019.
  • The sentence was handed down by Justice Augustine Odokwo, who ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ogban was guilty of the charges.
  • Ogban pleaded for mercy, stating that he had dependents and was a respected member of his community.
  • Counsel for the defendant argued that Ogban's actions had not affected the outcome of the election and pleaded for mercy.
  • The PDP has hailed the judgment, seeing it as a warning to individuals who attempt to alter election results.
  • The party stated that the sentence was a huge lesson for compromised individuals working for the APC to subvert the will of the people.
  • INEC's counsel, Mr. Clement Onwenwunor, praised the court's ruling on the electoral fraud case, describing it as commendable.

Statistics:

  • 3 years: length of Ogban's prison sentence
  • 2 counts: charges Ogban was found guilty of
  • NGN 100,000: fine imposed on Ogban for the 2 counts
  • 90 years: age of Ogban's mother
  • 2: number of local government areas where Ogban falsified election results

Sources:

  • "Court Jails Professor Peter Ogban for 3 Years". [Source: Vanguard News, 26/11/2022]
  • "PDP Hails Judgment, Warns APC Against Altering Election Results". [Source: Peoples Democratic Party, National Publicity Secretary, 26/11/2022]
  • "INEC lauds court judgment on electoral fraud". [Source: The Guardian Nigeria, 27/11/2022]

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