INEC arraigns Uniuyo Professor for electoral fraud

On Thursday, January 20, Professor Ignatius Uduk, a lecturer at the University of Uyo, was charged at Akwa Ibom State High Court 9 in Uyo, the state capital, on charges of election fraud. Prof. Uduk, who worked as a collation/returning officer for the Essien Udim State Constituency on March 9th, 2019 governorship and house of assembly elections for the Independent and National Electoral Commission, is facing a three-count accusation of publishing and proclaiming fake electoral results.

Uduk and one other Uniuyo professor had been charged to court for electoral fraud. While Professor Peter Ogban was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment, Professor Uduk’s case suffered repeated adjournments, in the course of which the judge in charge of the case was replaced by a new trial judge.

At the resumed sitting, the three charges were read to the defendant but he pleaded not guilty to all of them. The prosecuting counsel then called his first witness, a staff of INEC, who was also cross-examined by the defense counsel.

The trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang thereafter adjourned the case to January 25 for the continuation of cross-examination