The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), and a coalition of 54 other prominent Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have demanded the immediate resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban for electoral fraud.
SaharaReporters had reported that the appellate court, sitting in Calabar on Wednesday, upheld the three-year prison sentence earlier handed down to Ogban, who was found guilty of falsifying election results in the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial election to favour Akpabio, then the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a joint statement released Monday, 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. In any democratic society, such a development demands immediate accountability and responsible leadership,” the groups said.
The groups stressed that while Senator Akpabio has denied any personal involvement in the fraud, the conviction of the official who declared him the winner casts a shadow over the credibility of his election.
They called on Akpabio to step aside from office to preserve public confidence and uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“This is not just about one individual. It is about restoring public trust in our electoral process. Allowing the Senate President to remain in office under such serious ethical questions undermines democratic values and sends a dangerous signal ahead of the 2027 general elections,” the CSOs stated.
“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.
The coalition further questioned Akpabio’s eligibility to have contested the 2023 elections and subsequently assumed the Senate presidency.
“Having been a confirmed beneficiary of electoral fraud in the 2019 election to the 9th Senate, which he did not even complete due to his later appointment as Minister of Niger Delta, did Senator Akpabio have the legal or moral standing to contest for a seat in the 10th National Assembly, let alone serve as its President?” they asked.
The groups commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly 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 take this judgment as a clarion call to strengthen mechanisms that prevent electoral manipulation at all levels.
They further 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 stressed. (SaharaReporters)
