posted 30th April 2025
Nigerian Pro-Democracy Campaigner Demands Immediate Removal of Senate President Akpabio
Nigeria – 30 April 2025
Omotayo Williams, a prominent pro-democracy campaigner, has called for the immediate ousting of Senator Godswill Akpabio as President of the Nigerian Senate. The demand follows a Court of Appeal ruling that upheld the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban for electoral fraud during the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election, which secured Akpabio’s victory.
According to a report by Premium Times, Professor Ogban, a university academic and the returning officer for the election, was sentenced to three years in prison for falsifying results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas. The fraudulent activity resulted in over 5,000 votes being illegally awarded to Akpabio, then a candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Williams condemned Akpabio’s continued tenure as Senate President, describing it as “a stain on Nigeria’s democracy and a direct insult to every law-abiding citizen.” In a strongly worded statement, he declared:
“The judgment of the Court of Appeal is not merely about a professor who acted unethically — it is an indictment on the very mandate that brought Akpabio to national relevance. A stolen mandate cannot be the foundation of our legislative authority. Akpabio is an impostor, not a legitimate senator, let alone a Senate President.”
The campaigner highlighted several critical points in his call for action:
No genuine democracy can tolerate a beneficiary of electoral fraud leading its legislative body.
The credibility of Nigeria’s laws is undermined when they are advanced by someone whose political rise was secured through criminal means.
Akpabio’s refusal to resign, despite mounting controversies, demonstrates a blatant disregard for ethical leadership and the Nigerian populace.
Williams urged all “senators of conscience” to initiate impeachment proceedings against Akpabio. He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West election results in light of the court’s decision. Furthermore, he appealed to Nigerians across political divides to reject the normalisation of criminality within the nation’s democratic institutions.
“A man whose victory was built on rigging and fraud cannot and must not continue to preside over the making of our laws,” Williams asserted. “Akpabio must go — for the sake of our democracy, our dignity, and our future.”
The controversy surrounding Akpabio’s leadership has sparked widespread debate, with many Nigerians questioning the integrity of the country’s democratic processes. As pressure mounts, all eyes are on the Senate and INEC to respond to these grave allegations.
