CITAD, CISLAC, Other 54 CSOs Demand Akpabio’s Resignation Over Election Fraud Conviction

A coalition of 56 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including CITAD, CISLAC, SERAP, BudgIT, and Amnesty International Nigeria has demanded the immediate resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following a court ruling that upheld a conviction linked to electoral fraud in his 2019 senatorial victory.

The Appeal Court sitting in Calabar recently reaffirmed a three-year jail sentence for Professor Peter Ogban, the returning officer for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election, who was found guilty of falsifying election results in Akpabio’s favor while he was contesting under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a joint statement released on Monday, the CSOs said the ruling casts serious doubt on the legitimacy of Akpabio’s mandate. “The court’s decision confirms that the election which brought Akpabio to the Senate was marred by fraud. In any democracy, such a revelation should prompt accountability,” the groups said.

Although Akpabio has publicly denied involvement in the rigging, the CSOs maintain that the conviction of the official who announced his victory is enough to question the integrity of his position. They urged him to step down in the interest of public trust and democratic values.

The statement also questioned how Akpabio—having benefitted from a rigged election in 2019 and later serving as Minister of Niger Delta—was allowed to return to the Senate and even emerge as its President.

“This goes beyond Akpabio himself. It’s about the credibility of Nigeria’s elections. Keeping him in office sends the wrong message ahead of 2027,” the coalition warned.

The CSOs praised INEC and the former Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, for their role in ensuring the case was investigated and prosecuted.

They also called on the National Assembly, the judiciary, and INEC to act decisively by using the judgment as a stepping stone to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process. The APC, they said, should initiate steps to revalidate the disputed senatorial seat.

“The court has done its part. It’s now up to political leaders to show Nigerians that no one is above the law,” the statement concluded.

The post CITAD, CISLAC, Other 54 CSOs Demand Akpabio’s Resignation Over Election Fraud Conviction appeared first on Kano Times.