By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
May 05, 2025
A coalition of 56 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called on the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to temporarily step aside from office following the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, who served as the returning officer in the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District election.
The appellate court sitting in Calabar, on Wednesday, upheld the three-year prison sentence handed to Prof. Ogban for falsifying election results to favour Akpabio, who at the time was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a joint statement issued to journalists, the CSOs expressed concern over what they described as the “tainted legitimacy” of the process that brought Akpabio to the Senate.
“This ruling raises grave concerns about the credibility of the election that produced Senator Akpabio,” the statement read. “It is deeply troubling that the judiciary has now confirmed that the 2019 senatorial election was manipulated in his favour. In any democratic society, such findings warrant immediate scrutiny and accountability.”
The CSOs acknowledged that Akpabio has consistently denied involvement in the electoral malpractice. However, they insisted that the conviction of the official who declared him winner casts a long shadow over the integrity of the election outcome.
They further questioned whether Akpabio, having benefitted from a fraudulent process in 2019—a term he did not complete due to his appointment as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs—was morally or legally fit to contest for a seat in the 10th National Assembly, let alone serve as its President.
“This is about preserving public trust in democratic institutions,” the coalition stated. “Allowing the Senate President to remain in office under such serious ethical clouds undermines the principles of accountability and electoral justice, especially with the 2027 general elections on the horizon.”
The groups commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly former Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, for initiating the investigation that led to Ogban’s conviction.
They also urged the National Assembly, INEC, and the judiciary to treat the judgment as a wake-up call to reinforce safeguards against electoral fraud across all levels of government.
Additionally, the coalition called on the APC leadership to demonstrate commitment to democratic accountability by initiating a revalidation or rerun process for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial seat.
“The judiciary has fulfilled its role. It is now up to the political leadership to demonstrate that no one, regardless of office, is above the law—not even the President of the Senate,” the statement concluded.
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