A pro political group has allegedly exposed plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) through some of its members in Ibarapa central/Ibarapa north federal constituency, to tamper with voters register in order to manipulate the electoral process in its favor.
The report claimed that some bad elements within the APC have been approaching people and inducing them financially to extract their Voters Identification Number for the purpose of tampering with the Biometric Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), in order to manipulate results of the upcoming general elections.
Our correspondence who received the copy of the letter on behalf of Ibarapa Daily newspaper meant for publication submitted an extracts below.
PROTECT YOUR PVC, PROTECT YOUR VOTE: ALERT OVER ALLEGED VOTERS’ CARD BUYING IN IBARAPA
Dear Constituents,
Our attention has been drawn to disturbing allegations of an organised attempt by individuals purportedly operating within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North to collect voters’ cards from unsuspecting residents, particularly in villages, allegedly in exchange for small financial tokens or other inducements.
We have received reports from multiple sources, including audio and video materials which allegedly show individuals collecting voters’ cards and recording information contained on them.
These allegations are serious and must not be ignored.
We therefore call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to urgently investigate the reports, establish the facts and take appropriate action where any electoral offence is found to have been committed.
The people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North should also understand that their Permanent Voter Cards are personal and must not be surrendered to politicians, political agents or unauthorised individuals. INEC itself states that a PVC is not transferable and should be kept safely by the voter.
The Electoral Act also contains offences relating to the unlawful possession, buying, selling and improper dealing with voters’ cards.
We therefore urge residents and farmers across Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan, as well as surrounding communities, to remain vigilant. Do not hand over your PVC to anyone on the promise of money, political assistance, registration assistance or any other inducement. If anyone approaches you to collect your PVC or requests sensitive voter information for an unexplained purpose, document the incident where it is safe and lawful to do so, and report it promptly to the nearest security authorities.
At the same time, members of the public should not physically confront, assault or unlawfully detain anyone suspected of electoral wrongdoing. Such incidents should be reported to the police, INEC or other competent authorities so that they can be investigated through due process.
It is equally important to clarify that collecting voters’ cards does not, by itself, give another person the ability to simply cast a vote in the cardholder’s name. INEC’s BVAS system is designed to authenticate voters using biometric information, including fingerprints or facial recognition. INEC has specifically stated that warehoused PVCs cannot simply be used to vote because voters must be authenticated.
Nevertheless, any organised attempt to collect voters’ cards, obtain voters’ information, induce voters or interfere with the electoral process deserves immediate investigation. Our democracy cannot be protected by silence.
We therefore call on INEC and the relevant security agencies to take these allegations seriously, investigate the evidence available to them and ensure that every eligible voter in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North is able to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely and without intimidation, inducement or interference.
We also urge political parties and their supporters to respect the law and allow citizens to make their political choices freely. Your PVC belongs with you. Your vote belongs to you. Your political choice belongs to you.
Concerned Citizens
Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North
