Contrary to widespread public belief, Professor Peter Ogban, who was convicted for manipulating a senatorial election in favour of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has not been serving his three-year jail sentence. A Premium Times investigation reveals that the disgraced professor is living freely while many Nigerians — including journalists — wrongly assume he is behind bars.
Ogban, a professor of soil science at the University of Calabar, was sentenced in March 2021 by a State High Court in Uyo for falsifying election results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas during the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West District. He was a returning officer for the election, which benefitted Mr. Akpabio, a key political ally of President Bola Tinubu and a leading figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following the judgment, Ogban was taken to a federal prison in Ikot Ekpene. However, he spent only about four months in custody before being granted bail in July 2021 by Justice Pius Idiong of the State High Court in Ikot Ekpene. This bail came despite strong opposition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had prosecuted the case.
The justification for bail hinged on a claim of ill health, with Ogban’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), citing high blood pressure and tuberculosis. Justice Idiong, in a controversial ruling, accepted that the Court of Appeal might alter the conviction — possibly offering a reduced sentence, a fine, or even acquittal. He noted that while the health concerns did not meet the legal threshold for “exceptional circumstance,” the potential for a different appellate outcome merited a “temporary reprieve.”
Yet, on April 30, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Calabar reaffirmed the conviction and upheld the full three-year sentence. The judgment was delivered virtually, and Ogban was not present in court — nor has he returned to prison since the ruling. A lawyer familiar with the matter stressed that correctional authorities had a legal obligation to ensure Ogban’s presence in court and subsequent return to prison after the appeal was dismissed.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service in Akwa Ibom, Richard Metong, claimed ignorance of Ogban’s whereabouts and promised to verify — but did not respond to follow-up inquiries.
In a parallel case, another academic, Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, was also convicted and sentenced to three years for similar offences committed during the 2019 general elections. He was charged with falsifying results in favour of Nse Ntuen, an APC candidate and ally of Akpabio. Like Ogban, Uduk has also managed to secure bail shortly after his conviction.
These cases raise troubling questions about accountability in Nigeria’s electoral justice system — particularly the apparent ease with which convicted election offenders can evade actual punishment.
