Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) has been sentenced to three years in jail by Justice Bassey Nkanang of the Akwa Ibom State High Court for electoral fraud during the 2019 general elections.
In March 2019, Uduk, a human kinetics professor, worked as a collation/returning officer for the Essien Udim State Constituency.
He is on trial on three counts: perjury, publishing fraudulent results, and proclaiming false results.
He was found guilty on counts two and three by trial judge Justice Bassey Nkanang, who acquitted him on count one.
Consequently, he gave the Professor a three-year sentence for each of the two offences.
Mike Igini, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State, led INEC in initiating Uduk’s prosecution on a three-count modified accusation of lying under oath, publishing or declaring fictitious election results, and abandoning duty.
Peter Ogban, UNIUYO professor who was also arraigned by INEC under similar circumstances, was found guilty and given a three-year prison sentence.
Since the defendant repeatedly adjourned Professor Uduk’s trial, the presiding judge was changed.
Uduk was found guilty on Count 2 and sentenced to three years in prison on Count 3, although Justice Bassey Nkanang of Uyo High Court 5 cleared him on Count 1 of the three accusations INEC had brought against him. Concurrent operation of the sentences is required.
The ruling ended INEC’s five-year legal struggle against electoral fraud in Akwa Ibom state’s 2019 general elections.