Senate President Godswill Akpabio has strongly denied claims that he benefited from the actions of a former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official, Prof. Peter Ogban, who was convicted of electoral malpractice in 2021.
Reacting to resurfacing allegations suggesting that the electoral fraud committed by Ogban was intended to favour him during the 2019 National Assembly elections, Akpabio dismissed the narrative as entirely false and malicious.
He described the claims as part of a broader campaign aimed at damaging his reputation.
Akpabio denies ties to jailed prof
A statement issued in Abuja by Anietie Ekong, Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Senate President, reiterated Akpabio’s earlier position when he served as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Ekong refuted assertions that Ogban manipulated the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election results to benefit the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
“For the umpteenth time, the claim that the jailed INEC Electoral Officer, Prof. Peter Ogban, was convicted for rigging election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unfounded, spurious, malicious and intended to tarnish the image of the President of the Senate,” Ekong stated.
Akpabio says he was victim not beneficiary
The controversy stems from the 2019 general election, during which Akpabio, then seeking re-election to the Senate under the APC, challenged the declared results.
Ogban, who served as the senatorial district returning officer, was later convicted by an Akwa Ibom State High Court for tampering with the election outcome.
Contrary to claims that Ogban acted on Akpabio’s behalf, the statement alleged that the professor colluded with others to cancel legitimate votes belonging to Akpabio, including over 61,000 votes from Essien Udim, his home local government area.
Following the flawed process, Akpabio pursued legal action, and both the National Assembly Election Tribunal and the Court of Appeal eventually nullified the initial result.
A rerun was ordered in Essien Udim LGA, validating Akpabio’s position that the election had been manipulated against him.
“Sentencing Ogban had vindicated Akpabio and the APC that the election was massively rigged,” Ekong maintained.
He questioned why Akpabio would take his case through the court system if he had benefited from the irregularities.
The Senate President, according to his media aide, has since moved on and is focused on national leadership. However, the statement hinted that those responsible for the alleged electoral manipulation may still face accountability.
“It is obvious that some persons are being haunted by the ghost of the last election,” Ekong said.
Natasha calls out Akpabio, Yahaya Bello
Legit.ng earlier reported that Natasha called out Akpabio over an alleged report that her rally in Kogi could be hijacked by hoodlums.
In a statement on April 1, she also called out Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi and his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, over these allegations.
Police reportedly urged the senator to suspend her rally over security concerns, amid her sexual harassment claims against Akpabio.
