PVC, bank details information allegedly harvested from eligible voters in Cross River to gain electoral advantage

As the 2023 general elections approach, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River have been discovered to engage in secret manipulation of eligible voters by collecting the ID number on PVCs and bank details of eligible voters through proxies, an effort to circumvent aspect of INEC rule for the election.

An independent background check done by media reporters in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, Igoli in Ogaja Local Government Area, and Okpoma in Yala Local Government Area, where they talk to eligible voters who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity shows that party agents from the two dominant parties brought forms for them to fill for empowerment requiring their PVC and bank details to be eligible for an N30,000 (thirty thousand nairas) largesse which never materialized. The vulnerable now fear that their information may be harvested to rig the 2023 elections against their wish.

But the APC publicity Secretary in a telephone interview denied knowledge of the scheme and kicked against the act.

Also, Barrister Vena Ikem, the State Chairman of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State denied his party’s involvement saying that “it is impossible for such a thing to come from his office in the state as they don’t have resources for such ventures.

The Young Progressive Party (YPP) chairman in Cross River State, Mr. Anthony Attah Bisong who is also the State Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) Chairman added “since it’s by the two major parties it cannot work as its an attempt to undo themselves”.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) deputy gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Dan Obo who is also the Cross River State chapter chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) pointed out that if the major political parties want to use PVC collection to rig the elections in 2023, they are deceiving themselves.

On his part, Comrade Obedience Abang, the state coordinator of Voice of the Electorate, a non-partisan organization canvassing for the citizen’s participation in the electoral process said that by his understanding of the electoral act 2022 as amended, there is nothing the major political parties can do with the information collected from eligible voters as the mere use of BVAS by his understanding has rendered the project already dead on arrival.

On his part, Barrister Kehole Enya, Rights and Constitutional Lawyer noted that the parties who engage in the sinister activities of collecting information from eligible voters have committed the two offenses of improper use of voters card in Section 117 and impersonation and voting when not qualified to do so.

Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)