The Appeal Court sitting in Calabar has relieved Senator Albert Bassey Akpan (OBA) of a politically-motivated burden of going to prison and paying a restitution of N204 million to the state government.

Justice Agatha Okeke had on December 1, 2023 sentenced OBA to 42 years in prison, for allegedly receiving car donations from a friend, Olajide Omokore, while as a retired commissioner in Akwa Ibom State.

He was also ordered to pay N204 million to the state government for what EFCC alleged as corruption.

However, in a judgement on June 23, 2023, the Appeal Court said “that pursuit to the power of this court under section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act, 2014 as amended, the plea of the appellant is hereby acceded”.

According to the enrolled order, the court said, “that the condemnation of the appellant to the restitution of 204 million naira or to remain in prison custody by the trial court is not maintained as issue six is resolved in favour of the appellant”.

While however stating that the appeal succeeded in part, there was no part of it that ordered that OBA should be arrested, contrary to skewed reports suspected to have been sponsored by agents of the state government.

Pundits are however curious as to the interest of Akwa Ibom State Government in the matter, as it was learnt that its agents immediately applied for the Certfied True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, even when they were not a party to the case.

Some observers have however argued that the AKSG shenanigan in sponsoring false representation of what happened in court is meant to divert attention from their poor outings and failings at the tribunal.

It can however be recalled that on the day OBA was convicted, the state government, then headed by Udom Emmanuel, provided the vehicles that conveyed the EFCC officials around and even detailed a photographer to take the senator’s pictures from the courtroom to Ikot Ekpene Correctional facility.

Senator Akpan, dissatisfied with the judgement of the lower court, on December 29, 2022, approached a Vacation Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, presided over by Justice S. I. Mark of the Federal High Court and secured a post-conviction bail on health grounds.

He subsequently approached the Appeal Court in Calabar to appeal against his conviction and sentensing by the lower court.

OBA’s legal team immediately moved from Calabar to the Supreme Court to file further appeal.