A Katsina-based group, Forum for the Advancement of Democracy and Good Governance, has expressed serious concern over the alleged illegal collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Katsina towns and villages. It also alleged a widespread plot to rig the 2023 elections in the North-West.

The group expressed the concern in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Kabir Ahmed-Malams, on Tuesday.

It alleged that agents of a political party are collecting the PVCs in Katsina towns and villages in exchange for cash.

“Our attention has been drawn to the fraudulent activities of a political party which sends its agents to towns and villages to collect PVCs in the name of giving them monetary assistance,” said the group.

Its statement added, “These enemies of democracy end up destroying the PVCs by erasing the passport photographs and other key information on the cards, thereby rendering them useless as their owners will be unable to use them during elections.”

It warned that this “dangerous trend which is widespread in the North-West zone, particularly Katsina state, is aimed at disenfranchising voters as part of a larger scheme” to rig the 2023 elections and condemned “in strong terms, the unhealthy practice.” 

It, however, urged potential voters to “resist any attempt (by some agents) to collect their PVCs under whichever guise.”

(NAN)