"The intention of the sponsors and perpetrators of this criminal act is to compromise the authenticity of such PVCs and render the owners unfit to vote during the 2027 election."
Abia State Government has raised alarm that politicians in some parts of the state have deployed their agents to rural communities to "fraudulently" collect from the residents, information contained in their Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
Ferdinand Ekeoma, the special adviser on media and publicity to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, raised the alarm in a press release issued on Monday, 7 July.
Mr Ekeoma said the agents to the politicians were handing out N10,000 to each of the rural dwellers "under a deceptive guise that it is to create a nonexistent e-wallet for empowerment".
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"The intention of the sponsors and perpetrators of this criminal act is to compromise the authenticity of such PVCs and render the owners unfit to vote during the 2027 election," he said.
See the government press release below:
Government Special Announcement
The Attention of Abia State Government has been drawn to the activities of some politicians in some parts of the state who deployed their agents to various wards to fraudulently obtain information contained on the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) of unsuspecting rural dwellers in exchange for the sum of Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) each, under a deceptive guise that it is to create a nonexistent e-wallet for empowerment.
The intention of the sponsors and perpetrators of this criminal act is to compromise the authenticity of such PVCs and render the owners unfit to vote during the 2027 election.
Abia State government has carried out empowerment programmes for the youths and the elderly across the State and will continue to carry out empowerments, like the Abia State Interest Free Loan Empowerment Scheme for over 10,000 Abians, the Abia Techrise Project, Training of Abia Youths in Agricultural Skills in Nasarawa and subsequent funding by the government etc, without politicisation and without attaching questionable preconditions aimed at violating their rights.
Government views this deliberate act of criminality as an irresponsible act and warns that any person or persons, no matter how highly placed, caught indulging in this act of criminality, directly or through agents, shall face severe consequences, beyond their imagination.
Finally, government wishes to call on Abians, especially rural dwellers to henceforth distance themselves from any individual or group who may approach them for the purpose of obtaining information contained on their PVCs or any other personal information that may disenfranchise or endanger them in any way.
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Special Adviser to the Governor
