The murder of a professor who was suspected of manipulating the presidential election results has been the subject of news reports. Numerous people have shared the news on social media, including Simon Ekpa, the self-described secessionist leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Ekpa claimed in a tweet that the professor allegedly manipulated the results of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023, in favour of Bola Tinubu, the president-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Although Simon Ekpa did not specify the Nigerian state where the manipulation happened, some other posts suggest that it was Rivers.
Verification
CDD Election War Room was able to confirm through credible news reports that Professor Felix Akpan, a professor of public administration, was murdered, and his death is being investigated by the Cross Rivers state police command.
Felix Akpan, a professor of public administration and former dean of student affairs at the University of Calabar, was an outspoken political analyst who shared election-related thoughts on his Facebook page. He predicted victory for the APC.
However, CDD Election War Room was unable to establish any further participation in the previous election. Prof Charles Adias was the Rivers State collation officer during the just concluded presidential election.
It is important to note that one of the requirements for appointment as a returning or collation officer is to not have an obvious political leaning, and also, nominations are drawn from the academic staff of Nigerian universities.
According to the University of Calabar’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Akpan has been away from academic activities for about four years because of an illness and is only now recovering from a stroke.
A former student of the professor, who shared videos of his recovery, corroborated the PRO’s information.
An assassination attempt was made against the deceased in 2012. A bullet meant for his head hit him in the hand and another person was killed in the process.
Verdict
False. While the news of Prof. Felix Akpan’s death is true, he was not involved in the collation of presidential results during the February 25 presidential election because he was ill and just recovering from a stroke.
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