Electoral Fraud Allegations: CSOs Stand By Akpabio

Folalumi Alaran writes that some civil society groups have risen in stout defence of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, against allegations of involvement of electoral fraud during the 2023 general elections.

 A coalition of civil society organisations has reacted to calls for the resignation of Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, describing recent allegations of his involvement in electoral fraud as baseless and misleading.

The defence came in response to a joint press statement by 56 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), which cited the 2021 conviction of Professor Peter Ogban over the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial elections in calling for Akpabio’s resignation.

In a counter press statement jointly issued by five northern-based groups—Arewa Revival Project, Society for Advancement of Credible Leadership Ideas and Observation, Mass Integration for Peace Initiative in Nigeria, Arewa Youth Development Forum, and the National Youth Mobilisation for Good Leadership—the CSOs asserted that “facts have been grossly distorted to malign the Senate President.”

The statement, signed on behalf of the groups by Hon. Muttaka Ahmed Ibrahim, Dr. Johnny Benjamin, Alhaji Abdullahi Musa Argungu, Ismail Hassan, and Alhaji Bawa Ibrahim Arah, said “the truth, as backed by court records and credible media reports, is that Senator Akpabio was in fact the victim of electoral fraud—not its beneficiary.

“Professor Ogban was convicted for manipulating the election results in favour of Akpabio’s opponent, not the other way around”.

According to the groups, the 2019 senatorial election in question was manipulated by Prof. Ogban, who served as the INEC Returning Officer, by unlawfully cancelling over 61,000 votes from Akpabio’s stronghold in Essien Udim Local Government Area.

The result was a declaration of Senator Chris Ekpeyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner, a decision that was later challenged by Akpabio in court.

The groups cited court rulings to buttress the coalition’s claims.

It said: “The Court of Appeal, in November 2019, nullified the election and ordered a rerun in Essien Udim after establishing that Ogban had manipulated results against Akpabio. This decision was widely reported, including in Punch newspaper with the headline ‘Akpabio wins appeal, court orders rerun in LG”.

The statement further cited the March 2021 conviction of Prof. Ogban by a High Court in Akwa Ibom State for falsifying election results to favour the PDP candidate.

The coalition emphasized that the appeal court upheld the conviction, clearly affirming that the fraudulent acts were perpetrated against Akpabio’s interest.

“It is ironic and unjust that the same man who was robbed of his mandate is now being accused of benefiting from fraud. This narrative is being pushed by commentators and activists who, unfortunately, have not bothered to consult the court judgments or certified true copies of the rulings”, the groups said.

They called on Nigerians and the media to resist the spread of misinformation, saying “democracy is undermined when falsehoods are allowed to thrive. We must insist on fact-based reporting and hold commentators accountable when they mislead the public”.

The coalition condemned what it described as politically motivated attacks on Senator Akpabio and urged the public to examine the facts dispassionately.

“The Senate President has served this nation in various capacities with honour. To accuse him falsely of electoral misconduct not only insults the judiciary but also disrespects the democratic process”, the statement said further.

The groups also appealed to civil society and media practitioners to prioritize truth and evidence in national discourse.

“Before jumping to conclusions, Nigerians—especially journalists and lawyers—must read court documents and verify facts. Democracy suffers when false narratives overshadow the truth,” they said.