by Damilola Jagun

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed that suspected agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begun purchasing permanent voters cards for the sum of N10,000.

The party issued a statement on Tuesday, February 10, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, who also revealed that a company, Agro-Allied Communities Service Nigeria Limited, has been created to provide N50,000 loan each to empower women.

According to the APC, there is catch, as anyone seeking to get the loan must provide her PVC as ‘collateral’. The opposition party says the formation and establishment of the company is to serve as a front to accumulate PVCs.

APC said the intention behind the postponement of the elections, by the PDP-led Federal government, is to perfect plans for the rigging of the general elections.

The statement said: “Our members have alerted us to the fact that PDP agents have been operating in all villages between Kobape and Orile-Imo along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State, giving N10,000 to each poor villager and collecting their PVCs. The PDP agents are also promising each villager a monthly stipend of N10,000 if and when their party assumes office in the state.”

“Indications are that this objectionable PVC mop-up is being replicated in all opposition strongholds by the frenzied PDP, hence we at the APC have decided to alert the nation to the reprehensible act,” APC said.

The party also said that some Immigration personnel, acting under the guise of arresting illegal aliens with voter cards, are dispossessing a lot of unsuspecting locals in the northern part of the country of their PVCs. These unsuspecting people are arrested and their cards seized, all in an attempt to disenfranchise them.

“This act of desperation is totally unacceptable and must stop forthwith. Every voter should be allowed to exercise his or her franchise in accordance with his/her conscience, without intimidation or inducement,” it said.”We hope this is not part of the reasons that the PDP relentlessly campaigned for a postponement of the elections, so it can engage in PVC purchase and the disenfranchisement of innocent Nigerians through harassment and intimidation.”

Furthermore, the party appealed to its members, supporters and Nigerians, against selling their PVCs, saying that is the only power they have to effect a meaningful change that can ensure the deliverance of democratic dividends to them.

Kolapo Olapoju