Judge orders professor’s arrest over election fraud

A Nigerian Professor of Human Kinetics, Ignatius Uduk accused of election fraud, and who was returning officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2019 general election in Godswill Akpabio’s Essien Udim State Constituency, Akwa Ibom State has been ordered to be arrested.

Penpushing reports that, Justice Bassey Nkanang of the High Court Uyo, Akwa Ibom State ordered his arrest for being absent during judgment, while the University of Uyo Professor is being prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on charges of perjury and announcing and publishing false results during the 2019 general elections in Essien Udim State Constituency, where he served as the returning officer.

The prosecution counsel, Clement Onwuenweunor and an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official had announced their appearances in court, and when the hearing resumed, the defence counsel informed the court that the lawyer said he was not feeling fine and had asked him to hold a brief for him if the judgment is taken today.

Penpushing further reports that the judge proceeded, while the lawyer, Ndifreke Inyangette, said the defence counsel communicated with him via a text message, and the prosecution counsel in his submission prayed to the court to revoke the defendant’s bail and issue a fresh bench warrant for the Professor.

The lawyer said the court could deliver judgment, adding that if the accused is convicted, sentencing can be taken at a later date, stressing that the defendant was ill, of which the judge admitted that the court was aware and had received medical reports.

Penpushing also reports that the judge in his ruling, granted the relief of the prosecution counsel, and revoked the earlier bail granted to the defendant, thereafter issued a fresh bench warrant before adjourning the case to February 5, 2025 for judgment.

The Professor, it is recalled was first arraigned in December 2020 after an arrest warrant was issued against him the previous month for repeated failures to appear for the commencement of the trial, however, pleaded not guilty to the three charges slammed on him by the electoral commission.

Penpushing reports that the case has witnessed a series of delays because of several factors, including a change of defence counsel and the defendant’s collapsing in the dock during cross-examination.

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