By Nkechi Eze
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 sitting in Calabar on Wednesday upheld the three-year prison sentence earlier handed down to Professor Ogban, who was found guilty of falsifying election results to favor Senator Akpabio, then the All-Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
“This ruling raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of Senator Akpabio’s mandate,” the CSOs said in a joint statement. “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 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. They insist that 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.
The CSOs raised a fundamental question: 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?
“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 organizations 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 concluded.
Signed: 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth Initiative, Accountability Lab, Nigeria, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond (AACAB), Amnesty International Nigeria, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), BudgIT Foundation, Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Centre for Social Justice, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability, Environmental Defenders Network, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA), Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond(AACAB), #FixPolitics, Global Rights, Good Governance Team, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Lawyers Alert, Media Rights Agenda, Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre), Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN), Partners West Africa, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa PAACA, Praxis, Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), RULAAC – Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Say NO Campaign – Nigeria, Sesor Empowerment Foundation, Social Action, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), SPACES FOR CHANGE, State of the Union (SOTU), Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), West Africa Civil Society Forum (WASCSOF), West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Women in Media Communication Initiative (WIM), Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) Yiaga Africa and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC).
