From Gyang Bere, Jos
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau State, has alleged that the state government and Head of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Umar, are collecting Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) from citizens in exchange for employment.
The State Publicity Secretary of the party, John Akans in a press statement in Jos on Friday described the allegation as criminal, and fraudulent and urged the public to shun anyone demanding their PVCs for employment or any financial inducement.
The party said the Head of ICT of INEC, Mahmoud Umar, who served under Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC Gubernatorial candidate, Plateau State when he was Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Benue State, was transferred to Plateau to carry out the hatchet job.
“The Peoples Democratic Party’s attention has been drawn to a grievous fraudulent and criminal act planned by the Plateau State Government through Mahmoud Umar the Plateau State head of ICT of Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) who before now was in Benue State heading the Same office and was working directly under the APC Governorship Candidate Nentawe Yilwatda.
“We reliably gathered that Nentawe single-handedly facilitated his redeployment to Jos to achieve his unpopular aspiration.
“This fraudulent and misleading act is being coordinated by the office of the Secretary to the State Government of Plateau State by demanding permanent voters cards (PVCs) from innocent, ignorant and desperate job seekers (electorates) in exchange for either employment or chicken change as the case may be.
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“It is important to let the general public particularly those seeking work and the Civil servants who have fallen victim to this nefarious act know that there is no correlation between an applicant and even a worker and their PVCs as this only confirms that the APC government is hell-bent on rigging the forthcoming elections since it is their only option and a well-known stock in trade, having lost legitimacy and relevance due to their dismal performance.
“We are raising this alarm over this nefarious act being perpetrated by Mahmoud Umar INEC head of ICT (who supposedly is to be neutral) in conjunction with Plateau State Government to compromise the 2023 general election.”
The statement called on the Police and relevant security agencies to arrest the situation by calling Mahmoud Umar to order as a means of forestalling a breakdown of law and order.
In a swift reaction, INEC Spokesperson in Plateau, Micheal Otokpa said there is nothing as such that exists at the Commission.
He said INEC has a systematic way of distributing its PVCs according to Local Government Areas through the electoral officers and noted that nobody collects PVCs in absentia.
“PVCs collections are done at the Local Government level by the electoral officers and have every record of all collections, we don’t give PVCs in proxy. But I am not aware of what you are talking about.” He stated.
Similar, Commissioner of Information and Communication, Plateau State, Hon. Dan Manjang described the allegations as pure lies and said nobody has demanded PVC from anybody in exchange for employment or any inducement.
He explained that the government has advertised for employment at Plateau State Hospital Management Board and Plateau Specialist Hospital Jos and those interested have purchased their forms online and said nobody is collecting PVCs for employment,” he stated.