The Rivers APC 2023 Campaign Council observes with dismay the ongoing invasion of the 319 Registration Areas (Wards) in Rivers State by agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to buy Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from registered voters in the State.
We vehemently condemn this atrocious and criminal act by the desperate PDP Government of Rivers State to have our people disenfranchised in pursuit of the self-succession plot of the outgoing Governor.
The failed PDP Government which is incapable of stopping to constitute itself the greatest threat to democracy ahead of next year’s general elections has done more than grave harm to the electoral process already. From dragging candidates of opposition parties to Court to disqualify them from participation at the polls against the spirit and letters of the Constitution and the law to the issue of unconstitutional Executive Orders 21 and 22 which infringe on the rights of political parties to canvass for votes and the Rivers electorate to make informed choices between candidates at the polls, the PDP has done everything to subvert the will of Rivers people and their right to elect leaders and representatives of their choice.
The PDP Rivers State Government has also illegally deployed huge resources of our State to employ 200,000 people as Polling Units Special Assistants, Special Advisers, and Liaison Officers. Whereas the Electoral Act is clear about the responsibility of INEC to deploy personnel to polling units for the conduct of elections in Nigeria, these are the same people this inhumane regime has left out of decent and pensionable employment in nearly eight years of her existence.
Next to that poor attempt to legalize thuggery at the polling units in direct contravention of the Electoral Act 2022 and rape of the powers of INEC, the incompetent, greedy and deceitful PDP regime is devising further ugly means to frustrate the resolve of Rivers, people to vote out her candidates through the purchase of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from across the 319 Wards of the State. We have credible intelligence showing that this illegal exchange is more in the Wards and Local Government Areas where the PDP has fielded unpopular and mediocre candidates.
This is unacceptable and we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigeria Police and other security agencies, the media and human rights community, traditional rulers and leaders of religious organizations, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Commission to call the desperate PDP Government of Rivers State to order. This resort to self-help to abort the will of the people is anti-democracy and must be stopped at all costs to save our dear State from another embarrassing orgy of electoral malfeasance.
To the Rivers electorate, we believe that selling your PVC is tantamount to mortgaging your right to vote. Whether at a paltry N20,000 now or any other amount it is bought with, those who sell their PVCs are betraying the State, nation, and themselves. We must all be courageous enough not to sell our birthrights like Esau of old for therein lies the security of the welfare we seek now and the protection of the future of our children.
