Two Nigerian professors convicted for rigging the 2019 general elections in favour of influential political figures continue to enjoy freedom despite their jail sentences, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation reveals.
Professor Peter Ogban, a former University of Calabar lecturer, was sentenced to three years in prison in March 2021 after being found guilty of manipulating election results in Akwa Ibom North-West to favour then-Senator Godswill Akpabio, a key ally of President Bola Tinubu and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Although Mr. Ogban was initially taken to prison in Ikot Ekpene, he spent only about four months behind bars. In July 2021, Justice Pius Idiong granted him bail, citing health issues and a pending appeal. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which prosecuted him, opposed the bail.
In a decision delivered virtually on 30 April 2024, the Court of Appeal in Calabar upheld Ogban’s conviction and three-year sentence. However, the professor was neither present in court nor returned to prison after the judgment. Prison officials appear unable—or unwilling—to account for his whereabouts.
When contacted, Richard Metong, spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service in Akwa Ibom, said he was unaware of Ogban’s current status and failed to follow up after requesting more time to verify.
Legal representatives for Ogban, including a lawyer from Kanu G. Agabi & Associates, confirmed he should be serving time but claimed ignorance of his location.
Judicial Leniency and Legal Loopholes
Justice Idiong’s ruling on Ogban’s bail cited potential outcomes from his appeal—such as sentence reduction, a fine, or acquittal—as justification for granting temporary reprieve. Although the judge acknowledged that Ogban’s medical condition didn’t meet the legal threshold for “exceptional circumstances,” the court still granted bail.
Ogban’s legal team, led by Kanu Agabi, SAN, is now appealing to the Supreme Court, further delaying any meaningful enforcement of the original sentence.
Another Professor, Same Pattern
In a similar case, Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, also convicted for falsifying results in the 2019 elections to benefit APC candidate Nse Ntuen, was sentenced to three years in prison. He too was granted bail shortly after, despite being found guilty on three counts, including perjury and announcing fake election results.
Both cases spotlight a troubling trend: convicted officials escaping justice through judicial leniency, opaque legal procedures, and apparent systemic complicity.
