A High Court in Akwa Ibom State on Thursday found a Nigerian professor, Peter Ogban, guilty of fraudulent manipulation of election results, and of publishing and announcing false results. 

He has therefore been sentenced to three years in jail for the offences.

Mr Ogban, a professor of soil science, University of Calabar, and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial 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 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).

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 was in the dock, pleading for mercy from the judge, Augustine Odokwo, as of the time of filing this report.

More details to come..