The Abia State Government has raised alarm over reports that some politicians are secretly paying rural residents N10,000 to collect information from their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.
The government said these politicians are using agents to move from ward to ward in villages under the false claim of helping people create e-wallets for empowerment.
According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the state believes the real aim is to tamper with the PVCs in a way that will prevent owners from voting in the 2027 elections.
Ekeoma said, “This is a fraudulent act being disguised as empowerment. The goal is to compromise the authenticity of the PVCs and stop the real owners from voting.”
He warned that anyone found taking part in this act, no matter how powerful they are, will face serious punishment.
“Government views this deliberate act of criminality as an irresponsible act and warns that any person or persons, no matter how highly placed, caught indulging in this act of criminality, directly or through agents, shall face severe consequences beyond their imagination,” the statement read.
Ekeoma also reminded citizens that the government has run several empowerment programmes for both youths and the elderly without demanding any personal or sensitive information in return.
He advised villagers and other citizens across Abia to be careful and avoid giving out any details from their voter cards or other personal records to strangers claiming to offer money or assistance.
He said the government is determined to protect the rights of voters and make sure no one is denied the chance to vote in the coming elections.
