A coalition of over 50 prominent Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has demanded that Senate President Godswill Akpabio step down from office following the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of electoral fraud involving his 2019 senatorial election.
The appellate court sitting in Calabar on Wednesday upheld the three-year prison sentence handed down to Professor Peter Ogban, who served as the returning officer for the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial election. Ogban was convicted for falsifying election results in favor of Akpabio, who was then the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a joint statement, the CSOs expressed grave concern over the implications of the ruling, noting that it casts a significant shadow over the legitimacy of Akpabio’s electoral mandate.
“This ruling raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of Senator Akpabio’s mandate,” the statement read. “It is deeply troubling that the election which brought him to the Senate has now been judicially confirmed to have been manipulated. In any democratic society, such a development demands immediate accountability and responsible leadership.”
The coalition argued that although Akpabio has consistently denied involvement in the electoral malpractice, the conviction of the official who declared him winner fundamentally undermines the credibility of his election. The groups called on Akpabio to temporarily vacate his seat as Senate President pending further clarification of the matter.
They also questioned the legal and moral basis of Akpabio’s candidacy for the 10th National Assembly, given his status as a “confirmed beneficiary of electoral fraud” during the 2019 elections—a term he did not even complete due to his ministerial appointment.
“This is not just about one individual,” the CSOs emphasized. “It is about restoring public trust in our electoral process. Allowing the Senate President to remain in office under such serious ethical questions undermines democratic values and sends a dangerous signal ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
The coalition commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner Mike Igini for pursuing the investigation and ensuring prosecution in the case. They urged INEC, the National Assembly, and the judiciary to treat the judgment as a wake-up call for electoral reforms across all levels of governance.
The CSOs further called on the APC to show its commitment to democratic accountability by initiating a rerun or revalidation of the 2019 senatorial election in Akwa Ibom North-West.
“The judiciary has done its part. It is now up to the political leadership to rise to the occasion and show Nigerians and the world that no one is above the law—not even the Senate President,” the statement concluded.
The joint call was endorsed by 56 civil society groups, including Amnesty International Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Yiaga Africa, BudgIT Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), among others.