Edo: Group alleges sale of PVCs to politicians

Transparency for Electoral Systems Advocacy (TEGA) has accused some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State of selling uncollected PVCs to politicians.

In a petition to the National Chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, TEGA accused electoral officers in some local governments of complicity in the sale of the PVCs to politicians, adding that the election may be compromised if the illegal activities of the officials were not checked.

In the petition, entitled: ‘Petition Against Compromising Electoral Officers (EOs) in Edo State over sale of Bulk PVCs’, to politicians, the group said officials of the INEC in Esan Central, Ikpoba Okhai, Oredo, Egor and some other local government areas across the state have been involved in the act despite the fact that the INEC had assured of conducting free and fair elections in the state.

“Electoral officers popularly referred as EOs in Edo State have been meeting with PDP leaders, a situation that has resulted in the scandalous reports on social media platforms that the public were being denied their PVCs,” TEGA Coordinator, Philip Edosa-Amadasun, said in the petition.

According to the petition, dated Friday, August 23, a senior INEC officer in Esan Central Local Government Area was in the Irrua residence of a former PDP senator.

“We believe such an unholy alliance between the ruling PDP in Edo State and INEC officials is the reason members of the public, including APC and Labour Party supporters were being denied their PVCs in the recent distribution exercise.

““The situation is creating tension in the state as members of the public have continued to raise alarm in Esan Central council and other local government areas across the state, over their inability to find their PVCs. Their PVCs were reportedly handed over to PDP leaders with a view to rig elections.

“We saw a viral video on social media where a lady named Edith Uwadia in Ikpoba-Okha council lamented she was denied her PVC while INEC officials were seen giving out PVCs to PDP leaders.

“Therefore, we urged the chairman of the INEC to personally take charge of the distribution of these PVCs because as it seems the resident electoral commissioner in the state has failed in his duties in the state.”