Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has raised a strong alarm over alleged ‘wholesale buying of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) by candidates and representatives of opposition parties in the state’, saying that the dastardly move to manipulate and disenfranchise eligible voters during elections should be looked into by INEC and security agencies.
Governor Amosun, who spoke through Femi Sowoolu, chair- man, Media and Publicity Committee of Amosun’s campaign organisation, declared that a number of opposition parties and their candidates had been buying PVCs across the 236 wards of the state with a plan to manipulate election results, calling on In- dependent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take note and swing into action.
He said: “Senator Ibikunle Amosun Campaign Organisation (SIACO) views with grave concern widespread and recurring reports of wholesale buying of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) by candidates and representatives of opposing parties, in a dastardly effort to manipulate the forthcoming elections, and disenfranchise the good people of Ogun State.
“It is very important to note that the act of purchasing Permanent Voters Cards from potential voters is illegal and have the potentials for compromising the electoral process. It is equally a provocative act capable of under- mining the freedom of choice of the voters.
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We therefore, call on security agencies to investigate the act and bring the perpetrators to book. “We must take note that while any such purchased PVC’s may not be transferable, the intention of those buying them off the original owners is to reduce the votes in the opposition strongholds and improve the chances of their own party at the polls.”
But in a swift reaction to the allegation raised by the governor, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) described such as unfounded and uncalled for, explaining that such an allegation should not have come from the governor, his campaign organisation and All Progressives Congress (APC) since it was not possible.
Timothy Ibitoye, Ogun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who spoke with our correspondent through Dickson Atiba, the administrative secretary, said: “At times, politicians can be very funny.
I mean government has everything at its disposal to arrest whoever caught selling and buying PVCs, they should be saying such; they should arrest them. “We expect the government to arrest whoever they see with such illegal PVCS. I must also say, however, that those PVCs that may be selling by those accused by the governor will not work; it is not possible to use such PVCs for electoral purpose because our card readers will discover them.
“It should be clear that those that either buy or sell such il- legal PVCS engage in fruitless venture because it won’t work during the elections in February. So, it is funny and it is a rumour,” Atiba said.
