Court Fixes March 25 For Case Against Professor Ogban

 

 

Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Ikot Ekpene has fixed judgement for March 25, 2021, in the case against Professor Peter Ogban.

Professor Ogban who is a lecturer at the University of Uyo is being arraigned on a two-count charge of manipulation and falsification of election results instituted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom state.

Professor Peter Ogban who was the collation / returning officer in the 2019 Akwa Ibom northwest National Assembly election was brought before a state High Court in Ikot Ekpene division by INEC on the allegation that he manipulated scores of two political parties, falsified and announced fake results in two local government areas of Etim Ekpo and Oruk Anam.

The case had earlier been adjourned to today, January 26 for the defense counsel to present his case. This was after the Prosecuting counsel concluded his case after calling two witnesses and tendering five exhibits before the court.

The witnesses, who served as collation officers for Orukamam and Etim Ekpo LGAs respectively, told the Akwa Ibom State High Court presided by justice Augustine Odokwo, in their separate testimonies said that the results they presented were different from the one declared by the accused.

In the Oruk Anam LGA election result, Enoidem noted that while his result showed that the APC scored 10,534 votes and the PDP 25,123 votes, the one declared by the accused had the APC with15,534 votes and the PDP with 20,123 votes, thereby reducing the votes for the PDP by 5,000 and increasing that for the APC by 5,000.

Also, Dr. Ekaidem, said that while his collated result for Etim Ekpo LGA showed that the APC scored 2,671 votes and the PDP 6,603 the result finally declared by the accused was 5,671 votes for the APC and 3,306 for the PDP.

At the resumed hearing the defense counsel tendered three exhibits and called the accused person as his only witness.
The accused was drilled by both counsels on his role in the discrepancies noticed in the results submitted and announced by him.

The presiding judge, Augustine Odokwo gave 14 days each for counsels to file their final written addresses and the accused will have 48 hours to respond.

He adjourned the case to March 25 for the adoption of final written addresses and judgement while the defense counsel, Francis Ekanem Esq excused himself from the media, the Prosecution counsel, Clement Onwenwunor expressed satisfaction with the proceedings.