Court Sentences Prof. Uduk To Three Years In Prison For Electoral Fraud
A High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced Professor Ignatius Uduk to three years imprisonment over his involvement in electoral fraud during the 2019 general elections.
Prof. Uduk, who served as the Collation/Returning Officer for the Essien Udim State Constituency, was convicted on two out of three counts after a legal battle that lasted five years. Justice Bassey Nkanang delivered the verdict on Wednesday, sentencing him to three years on each count, to run concurrently.
The case was filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, while Prof. Uduk was defended by George N. Ezeugwu.
Prof. Uduk, a Professor of Human Kinetics at the University of Uyo (UniUyo), appeared in court in a wheelchair and revealed that he was forced into retirement in 2020 due to the case, with his salary suspended since then. He pleaded for leniency, but the court found him guilty of:
Publishing false election results (Count 2)
Perjury (Count 3)
However, he was acquitted on Count 1 (announcing false election results) after the court acknowledged that he had been coerced into making the announcement.
The prosecution presented evidence showing that on March 10, 2019, Prof. Uduk wrote a handwritten note stating that he had been chased away from the collation center and forced to announce results. However, less than 24 hours later, he went ahead to declare the official result, despite the absence of collation at any level.
He later validated the false results before the Election Tribunal, leading INEC to file charges against him. The prosecution also revealed that he repeatedly avoided court appearances, even submitting a forged medical report claiming illness, which was later disproven.
Following the judgment, Mr. Onwuenwunor emphasized the ruling’s significance in strengthening electoral integrity in Nigeria. He noted that the case was initiated by former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, and underscored the need for accountability in election management.
“This judgment will serve as a deterrent to others who may be engaged by INEC and attempt to sabotage the electoral process for personal gain,” Onwuenwunor stated.
However, he expressed regret that the beneficiary of the fraudulent election result was never prosecuted, as the Court of Appeal had already removed him from office before charges were filed.
Defense counsel George Nnaemeka Ezeugwu said they would review the judgment and determine whether to file an appeal. “If it’s worth proceeding to appeal, we will. If not, we will move on,” he said.
