Ekiti ADC governorship candidate alleges APC rigging plot, calls for investigation

By Boye Oyeyemi

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Ekiti State, Dare Bejide, has raised concerns over the alleged collection of Permanent Voter Cards from residents ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Monday, the Director of Communications, Media and Publicity of the Bejide Campaign Organisation, Gboyega Aribisogan, accused agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress of moving around communities to obtain PVCs and National Identification Numbers from voters.

Aribisogan also alleged that some political thugs were being equipped with fake uniforms resembling those of the Amotekun Security Network, claiming the move was aimed at intimidating voters and disrupting the electoral process.

He said, “Across several local government areas, our party has observed a pattern where APC agents are allegedly collecting PVCs and NINs from residents with promises of cash, food items and other benefits.”

According to him, “The objective is to suppress voter participation and compromise the integrity of the election.” He therefore urge residents not to hand over their PVCs or personal identification details to any political actor.

The ADC spokesperson further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to warn against the collection of PVCs and NINs, while asking security agencies and the leadership of Amotekun to investigate claims of impersonation and arrest anyone found wearing the outfit without authorisation.

Responding to the allegations, the Ekiti State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Segun Dipe, dismissed the claims, describing them as baseless and a reflection of the opposition party’s misunderstanding of the electoral process.

Dipe said, “Nobody is collecting PVCs. Modern electoral technology makes it impossible to use another person’s voter card. The allegation regarding fake Amotekun uniforms is equally unfounded because Amotekun is a creation of the APC-led government, and there would be no reason to impersonate the outfit.”