Senate President Godswill Akpabio has distanced himself from Professor Peter Ogban, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official convicted of electoral fraud during the 2019 senatorial elections in Akwa Ibom State.
In a statement released Wednesday in Abuja by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Anietie Ekong, Akpabio described the claims linking him to Ogban’s actions as “unfounded, spurious, malicious, and intended to tarnish his image.”
“For the umpteenth time, just like I did when Senator Godswill Akpabio was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, the claim that the jailed INEC Electoral Officer, Prof. Peter Ogban, was convicted for rigging election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unfounded, spurious, malicious and intended to tarnish the image of the President of the Senate,” Ekong stated.
He recalled that while serving as Chief Press Secretary to Akpabio, he had also addressed the allegations, which were promoted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming Ogban worked in Akpabio’s favour.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had reported that Prof. Ogban, a soil science professor at the University of Calabar, was sentenced to three years in prison by an Akwa Ibom High Court for manipulating election results in the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District on February 23, 2019.
But contrary to the narrative that Akpabio benefitted from the manipulation, Ekong insisted the former governor was a victim.
“Akpabio who was APC’s candidate at the election seeking re-election to the Senate, was rather a victim of the fraudulent manipulation of the election,” he added.
He argued that Akpabio’s decision to challenge the outcome of the election up to the Court of Appeal—where a rerun in Essien Udim Local Government Area was ordered—was evidence that he could not have benefitted from the fraud.
“Contrarily, Akpabio was a victim of the fraudulent manipulation of the election of Akwa Ibom North- West Senatorial District held on Feb. 23, 2019. He is vindicated that the perpetrators of the electoral fraud are being brought to justice, at last the chickens are coming home to roost,” the statement said.
Ekong further alleged that Ogban, who served as the Senatorial District Returning Officer, cancelled Akpabio’s votes—over 61,000 from his home LGA, Essien Udim—and colluded with the Resident Electoral Commissioner to declare his opponent the winner.
“For the avoidance of doubt Ogban never announced Akpabio as the winner of any election, instead he cancelled his lawful votes and announced his opponent as the winner of the manipulated election,” he added.
He emphasised that the recent sentencing of Ogban has vindicated Akpabio and the APC, calling out those he claimed were haunted by the outcome of the 2019 elections.
“In due time, we believe all the conspirators will be brought to justice as Ogban, either through the judiciary or divine intervention,” he said.
He made it known that Akpabio has since moved on and remains focused on his responsibilities as Senate President, refusing to be distracted by “baseless and unfounded reports by hatchet men and mischief makers.”
