The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has affirmed the conviction and three-year prison sentence handed to Professor Peter Ogban for his role in falsifying election results during the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District election to benefit Senator Godswill Akpabio.

In its ruling delivered on Wednesday, the appellate court upheld the earlier verdict of the High Court in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, which found Ogban guilty of electoral malpractice.

The court, in strong terms, denounced his conduct, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions, especially “as a university professor entrusted with the integrity of the electoral process.”

Ogban, a professor of Soil Physics at the University of Calabar, served as the returning officer in the senatorial election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prosecuted him after uncovering that he had manipulated results to favour Godswill Akpabio, then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

According to the court’s findings, Ogban deliberately inflated Akpabio’s votes and suppressed those of his opponent, Christopher Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Akpabio, however, has consistently denied any connection to the fraudulent acts, insisting he was not involved in the manipulation.

The case stemmed from a broader probe led by the then Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for INEC in Akwa Ibom, Barrister Mike Igini, who initiated the prosecution of two university professors, Peter Ogban and Ignatius Uduk, for tampering with and announcing falsified election results.

The Court of Appeal’s decision now firmly cements the conviction of Ogban as “one of the landmark outcomes” of that effort.

In a related development, another academic, Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, was sentenced in February by a State High Court in Uyo to three years’ imprisonment.

Uduk was found guilty of perjury and for publishing false results during the 2019 Essien Udim State Constituency election where he served as the returning officer.

Along with the prison sentence, he was fined N100,000.

The case marked the second major conviction of a Nigerian professor for electoral misconduct.

Uduk was first arraigned in December 2020 after evading multiple court summons.

He pleaded not guilty to the three charges brought against him by INEC.

The case suffered numerous adjournments due to various delays, including a change of defence counsel and an incident where the professor collapsed in court during cross-examination.

At one point in the proceedings, Uduk accused the trial judge of bias and requested that the judge recuse himself from the case, a request that was granted.

Ironically, the case was later reassigned to the same judge, who eventually concluded the trial.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called on the South East to take a frontline role in President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, stating that the era of playing second fiddle in national politics is over.

Speaking in Umuahia, the capital of his home state, Abia, at the unveiling of the Renewed Hope Partners initiative, Kalu emphasized that the zone must do more than offer token support to the Tinubu-led federal government.

He described RHP as a strategic platform to publicize the achievements of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Kalu explained that the RHP would engage in grassroots voter education to deepen understanding of the Renewed Hope Agenda among communities in the region.

“The RHP would create ambassadors whose job would be to advocate and showcase the good works of President Tinubu’s administration in the country, particularly in the South East region, to convince them of the need for continuity,” he said.

To facilitate this, he revealed plans to set up Renewed Hope Councils in every LGA across the South East.

These councils, he said, would be linked to the South East Development Commission (SEDC) outreach teams, integrating the President’s policy wins into tangible local programmes.

According to him, “each of the seven pillars would be aligned with local town-hall campaigns, ensuring that every citizen sees the direct benefits of President Tinubu’s agenda.”

The Deputy Speaker praised Tinubu’s leadership, saying the administration had made significant strides in economic reform, youth empowerment, and bridging developmental divides across the country.

“President Tinubu’s administration has fundamentally improved the nation’s economy by empowering the youth and thus begun to bridge the development gap between various zones,” he noted.

Citing specific accomplishments in the South East, Kalu pointed to the President’s commitment to completing the Eastern Rail Line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, which would link key commercial hubs such as Aba and Onitsha to Northern markets.

“This project is expected to unlock a ₦50 billion annual trade portfolio,” he added.

He also highlighted energy infrastructure developments, including the gas project commissioned by Tinubu in Imo State, the expansion of the AHL and ANOH Gas Processing Plants, and the construction of the 23.3 km ANOH–OB3 Custody Transfer Metering Station pipeline.

According to him, these initiatives, once completed, “would collectively supply approximately 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, thereby increasing domestic gas supply by at least 25%.”

Kalu mentioned that President Tinubu had also shown commitment to industrializing the oil and gas sector in the region through the establishment of NOGaPS Industrial Parks by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) across states like Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Abia, and Ondo.

He further said the President supports the full development of the Anambra Gas Basin for national and regional economic benefit.

Beyond the South East, Kalu said the Tinubu-led government has performed well nationwide, pointing to the doubling of federal revenues to over ₦9 trillion in the first quarter of 2024 and a 97% drop in debt servicing within just 13 months.

He also cited $50.8 billion in foreign investments and growth in GDP from 27% in 2023 to 34% in 2024 as signs of the administration’s success.

According to him, the newly established SEDC has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement an integrated development plan.

“This includes investment in agriculture, manufacturing, and technology to stimulate entrepreneurship, job creation, and critical infrastructure development,” he said.

Kalu further urged the federal government to fast-track additional infrastructure across the region, including the construction of gas pipelines, dredging of the Onitsha River Port to open up inland waterways for trade, gully erosion control across the states, and eco-conservation projects such as reforestation of Udi Hills.

He called for more ecological funds to combat flood risks in cities like Aba and Onitsha and the preservation of mangrove ecosystems along the Imo River to sustain local fisheries and protect shorelines.

“Mr. President, having delivered on his eight-point agenda, the South East region should decisively align with his-led federal government and harness these gains for their well-being,” Kalu declared.

“I therefore urge the South East Region to reciprocate the President’s gesture by giving him the majority votes come 2027,” he concluded.

Former Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has openly expressed regret over his decision to contest as the vice-presidential candidate alongside Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Okowa admitted that his choice ran contrary to the prevailing sentiment among the people of Delta State.

“Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power,” he stated.

He acknowledged that although the PDP had made the decision at the national level and he had already been nominated, he later came to see that it was out of alignment with the expectations of his constituents.

“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party (PDP) and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people,” he said.

In addition, Okowa responded to recent criticism from former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over his move from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), asserting that Saraki lacked the moral standing to speak on the matter.

“I did not expect that someone like Senator Bukola Saraki should be able to speak concerning me, because he knows that he had also moved to APC before and eventually returned,” Okowa said.

“So he has had movement to and fro. So, I don’t think that he has the moral right to even speak about my defection at all.”

He further explained that the decision to join the APC was not personal, but a strategic one reached after consultations with key political stakeholders in Delta State.

According to him, the PDP had become weakened by internal discord and lacked the vision required to move forward.

“Several things have been going on in the party. While I do not want to join issues with people, as stakeholders, our leaders in this state have sat down to look at the events in the last several months,” Okowa noted.

“Because of the events that we see and the communications coming out from the leadership of the PDP at the moment, it did not appear to us that that was a proper political vehicle for us to continue in.”

He concluded by saying that the disunity among PDP governors and the persistent leadership crisis within the party signaled its unpreparedness for any meaningful political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday held an emergency meeting at its national secretariat in Abuja, as the party grapples with a wave of high-profile defections and internal instability.

The meeting, which is taking place behind closed doors, comes on the heels of significant losses for the PDP, particularly in Delta State, one of its traditional strongholds.

Just last week, former vice presidential candidate and ex-governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside the sitting Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a move that sent shockwaves through the opposition, the two leaders were joined by the Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme, state commissioners, local government chairmen, and key grassroots operatives.

Their decision followed a private meeting in Asaba, the state capital, after which the entire PDP structure in the state appeared to collapse into the APC.

This mass realignment has raised urgent questions about the PDP’s cohesion and electoral viability ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Party leaders are said to be deliberating on damage control strategies and plans to restore internal unity.

As at the time of this report, details of the NWC’s deliberations have not been made public.

Wave of defections have continued to rock the Labour Party in Enugu State, following the return of Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, its 2023 governorship candidate, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), DAILY GAZETTE reports.

Several prominent figures, including the former Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in Enugu, Chief Emeka Mamah; a former member of the Enugu State House of Assembly who represented Udenu Constituency, Hon. Obinna Ijere; and the State Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Barr. Onuorah Odoh, have all officially dumped the party, citing loyalty to Edeoga.

DAILY GAZETTE gathered that Chief Mamah, whose grassroots mobilization was instrumental to the Labour Party’s rise during the 2023 general elections, announced his defection on Tuesday in his Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.

He was joined by a large contingent of supporters.

Addressing party faithful at the state PDP Secretariat, Mamah declared, “my political journey has always been guided by principle, loyalty, and the pursuit of justice. I followed Edeoga to the Labour Party because I believed in his vision. Now that he has returned to the PDP, it is only natural that we reunite to continue the struggle from within a platform that gives us the best chance to serve our people.”

The former Commissioner added, “the Labour Party in Enugu has lost direction since Edeoga left. The structure is crumbling, the energy has dropped, and there’s no cohesive leadership. We cannot continue in a vacuum.”

This latest defection adds to the growing list of Labour Party leaders and supporters who have returned to the PDP in recent weeks, following Edeoga’s formal re-entry into the party where he previously served as Commissioner and a member of the House of Representatives.

Also speaking, Hon. Obinna Ijere, who was elected into the Enugu State House of Assembly under the Labour Party in 2023 before being removed by the court, said, “We gave our all to the Labour Party because we believed it was a people-driven platform. But the internal contradictions, lack of leadership structure, and Edeoga’s exit forced us to re-evaluate. The PDP remains the strongest vehicle for real governance in Enugu.”

However, officials of the Labour Party in Enugu have downplayed the development, insisting that the party remains focused and resilient.