The conviction of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Professor Peter Ogban by a High Court in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State on Wednesday, March 24, appears to mark a significant milestone in bringing electoral offenders in Nigeria to accountability. The court convicted Professor Ogban for manipulating election results, publishing and announcing false results in a National Assembly election held in February 2019 in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District. He was the Returning Officer for the election. It will be recalled that INEC in a statement by its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, vowed to prosecute the allegations of misconduct against its said Returning Officer, Peter Ogban, in order to show INEC’s commitment to electoral responsibility and accountability. Prof. Ogban’s conviction and sentencing to three years imprisonment would help debunk the prevailing notion that INEC is not able to carry out the job of conducting elections, as well as that of prosecution of electoral offenders. It would appear however, that INEC’s successful prosecution of Prof. Ogban may represent only a tip of what is certainly a major challenge to Nigeria’s elections – impunity.
Election observers over the years have tracked and reported several cases of electoral impunity, including of election officials, candidates and political parties perpetrating various forms of electoral abuse. Reports exist of parties and candidates falsifying election results, announcing fake victory, perpetrating violence against election officials and their political opponents, including even murder and arson. It will be recalled that in a related development, a High Court in Idah, Kogi State had convicted and sentenced one Ocholi Edicha to 12 years and six months imprisonment in the popular case of the killing of Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Salome Abuh during the 2019 governorship election in the State. Mrs. Abuh was shot and set ablaze in her residence, following an altercation among political party supporters. These convictions most certainly draw attention to the fact of the consequences of electoral abuse, and reduce the sense of impunity among prospective electoral offenders