The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has raised the alarm over alleged plans by top politicians to buy up the permanent voter cards (PVCs) of eligible voters in the State.
It said the action was targeted at ensuring that the people of the State do not cast their votes for the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, come 2023.
Spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State, Dr. Lenoonu Nwibubasa, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, the State capital.
Nwibubasa said: “We are here to inform Rivers people about a sinister plot, already hacked by top politicians in Rivers State, to buy up the permanent voter’s cards of our citizens in order to deny them the opportunity to vote.
“This is ongoing in every local government; top politicians in every local government have been briefed to ensure that they buy up voter’s cards from members of the public.
“We, therefore, want to bring this information to dear citizens of our State that under no condition, including threat and financial inducement, should you relegate your fundamental right of casting your votes in the upcoming election by selling out your permanent voter’s cards to any individual.”
The PDP presidential campaign council spokesman called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, to be at alert in order to nip the plot in the bud.
He added: “We also want to call the attention of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, that there is a serious plans to receive bulk PVCs during the period of distribution from various INEC offices across Rivers State capital in the guise that they will take it to the constituencies and the wards to share.
“Reports reaching us is that those PVCs will not get to the owners and they are going to seize them, ensuring that they disenfranchise Rivers people.
“This is because they are aware that Rivers people are fully committed to voting the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“And because there is nothing else they can do to stop Atiku in winning Rivers State, they have taken over this criminal plot, very unconstitutional, very barbaric, to buy up PVCs and to receive PVCs in bulk from INEC officials and, therefore, deny Rivers people the opportunity to vote their rightful choice.
“We are calling again on the INEC Chairman to please, again, beam your searchlight on Rivers State. As the distribution of the PVCs is continuing, we want to be sure of proper monitoring that the PVCs get to rightful owners.”
