The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of purchasing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from registered voters in Kogi State for N5000 each ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

The Musa Wada Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation raised the alarm in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesman, Faruk Adejoh-Audu.

According to the PDP campaign organisation, agents of the state government have been traversing villages and communities offering registered voters N5000 in exchange for their PVCs.

Adejoh-Audu stated that the N5000 is being paid to the poor and indigent communities as “loan” in exchange for their PVCs as “collateral”.

“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 populations 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.

Calling on the governor and his All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to play by the rules, the PDP campaign organisation vowed to resist any attempt at manipulating and rigging the upcoming election, using every legitimate means available.

The campaign said it’s regrettable that after almost four years in power, the Bello administration cannot call in any goodwill or favour from the citizens of the state.

It knocked the state government for allegedly inventing and devising means of swindling the people of their right to determine who governs them.

The campaign organisation called on the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence investigation into the allegation, describing it as “treasonable crime” against the people.

“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.” (The Nation)

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