Bursted: How professor convicted of election fraud in favour of Akpabio dodged his prison sentence exposed
On 30th of April, 2025, an Appeal court in calabar, upheld the ruling of a lower court on professor Daniel Ogban election results manipulation case.
Professor Daniel Ogban who served as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer for Akwa Ibom North-west district in the 2019 general elections, was convicted of falsifying election results in the favour of the now Nigeria’s senate president, Godswill Akpabio.
However, many Nigerians think that professor Daniel Ogban, a lecturer in the University of Calabar department of soil science is currently serving his three year sentence following his conviction by Appeal court of manipulating 2019 election results in two local government of Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo in the Akwa Ibom North-west district. The Reliant Nigeria News has learnt that the convicted professor is currently walking free and not in prison to serve his three year sentence.
Premium Times reports that a federal prison official in Calabar who was contacted over professor Daniel Ogban noted that he was not aware of the professor being in any prison facility in the state. He however promised to verify whether or not the professor was in any prison facility in the state and get back but he failed to do as he promised.
According to Premium Times, following his conviction by the state high court in 2021, the defendant lawyer, Kanu Agabi pleaded with the court to grant professor Daniel Ogban bail on health ground while he challenges his conviction at the Appeal court. The counsel to the defendant, Kanu Agabi argued that the defendant was battling high blood pressure and that it would amount to injustice keeping him in the prison.
Hence, professor Daniel Ogban was granted bail on health ground and pursued his case in the Appeal court which also upheld the decision of the lower court.
A lawyer privy to the development revealed that the defendant, professor Daniel Ogban was not brought to the court the day the Appeal court delivered its ruling and three year sentencing. The lawyer explained that the ruling was delivered virtually and that the defendant was supposed to be brought to the court in such a case at the time the Appeal court read his sentencing. He added that after his sentencing that the professor was not also taken to any prison facility.
Recall that Nigeria’s senate president, Godswill Akpabio who was indicted in the case in his response, vaguely stated that has no link with the convicted professor as being reported by the media.
Akpabio claims that in the said 2019 election which professor Daniel Ogban claimed to have have manipulated some of its results in his favour, that he was instead a victim of manipulation and rigging in the said election.
Professor Daniel Ogban confession and his conviction further soiled the already dented image of the Nigeria’s senate president who is also grappling with sexual harassment allegation against him by senator Nathasha. This has led to call for his resignation by groups and individuals. However, the senate president has described calls for his resignation as flippant as the sexual harassment allegation against him. He declared that he is not shaken by such demands and will not resign from his position.
