By Akinwale Kasali
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the November 16, Governorship election in Kogi, Musa Wada, are accusing Governor Yahaya Bello of purchasing Permanent Voters Card, PVCs, from prospective voters for the sum of N5,000.
The PDP and the Musa Wada Campaign Organization raised this alarm through its spokesperson, Farouk Adejoh-Audu.
Adejoh-Audu alleged that the APC led government of Bello have been traversing villages and communities offering registered voters N5,000 in exchange for their PVC.
He stressed that the N5,000 inducement is being given to the poor and indigent communities as ‘loan’, just like the ‘Tradermoni initiative’ of the president Muhammadu Buhari administration before the 2019 general election, in exchange for their PVCs as “collateral”.
Adejoh-Audu added that, “Right now, we are informed the agents have been unleashed across the state particularly in rural areas to offer the said cash to poor and indigent people willing to submit their PVC as collateral for the scam.
“These agents are said to be targeting communities with large voter population across the state and were sighted in many areas of Kogi East Senatorial District to execute the agenda of disenfranchising as many persons as possible. Reports from the other senatorial districts equally indicate a similar ongoing fraudulent scheme.
“Our findings indicate that this evil con is designed by the outgoing government as one last impetuous chicanery to stop as many people as possible from besieging the polling units on November 16 to massively evict it from the seat of power it has abused and desecrated for close to four years.
“The PVC stolen from the people using this decoy will be given to rogue elements to use in voting or to compromised ad-hoc electoral staff to use in hiking accreditation figures in polling units with the ultimate aim of writing results”, the campaign organisation stated.
The campaign organisation has however call on concerned bodies to look into the allegation of bribery and manipulation of voters by the APC.
“This Campaign organisation hereby demands that the Directorate of State Services(DSS), the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately commence an investigation into this evil plot which is clearly a treasonable crime against the people and the state.
“We hereby call on the good people of Kogi State, the labour unions, religious organisations, market women, youth groups, students, community associations and all lovers of the liberty of our dear state to immediately alarm the masses of the ongoing scam using Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) as decoy to rob them of their right to vote.
“People should be enlightened to immediately raise alarm and call in the police or community leaders if anyone approaches them to submit their PVCs for any reasons whatsoever.
“The task of liberating Kogi State from the grip of hunger, lack of development, an unfocused and cluelessness government, thuggery and violence belongs to all. We must all rise to defeat this desperate scam”, Adejoh-Audu said.
