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May
May
CSOS URGE AKPABIO TO STEP ASIDE OVER ELECTORAL FRAUD CONVICTION
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CapitalTimesNews / 2 weeks
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- 2 min read
Prominent Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to step aside from office following the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, the returning officer in the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial election, for electoral fraud. The appellate court upheld the three-year prison sentence handed down to Professor Ogban, who was found guilty of falsifying election results to favor Senator Akpabio. The CSOs said, “This ruling raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of Senator Akpabio’s mandate. It is deeply troubling that the election which brought him to the Senate has now been judicially confirmed to have been manipulated.” The CSOs emphasized that while Senator Akpabio has denied personal involvement in the fraud, the conviction of the very official who declared him the winner casts a dark shadow over the credibility of that election. “For the sake of public confidence, the rule of law, and the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, Senator Akpabio must temporarily vacate his position until the matter is conclusively addressed,” they stated. The organizations raised a fundamental question about Senator Akpabio’s legal and moral standing to contest for a seat in the 10th National Assembly, let alone serve as its President, given his confirmed beneficiary status in the electoral fraud. “This is not just about one individual. It is about restoring public trust in our electoral process,” the CSOs said. The CSOs commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mike Igini for spearheading the investigation and prosecution of the case. They urged the National Assembly, INEC, and the judiciary to strengthen mechanisms that prevent electoral manipulation at all levels. The CSOs also called on the APC leadership to demonstrate its commitment to electoral reform and democratic accountability by initiating a rerun or revalidation process for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial seat. “The judiciary has done its part. It is now up to the political leadership to rise to the occasion and show Nigerians and the world that no one is above the law—not even the Senate President,” the CSOs concluded.
