• TAN flays opposition party over criticism of poll shift

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) Tuesday raised the alarm that suspected agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have resorted to offering voters the sum of N10, 000 in exchange for their permanent voters card (PVC).

    APC, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, claimed that such underhand tactics, including the purchase of PVCs and the intimidation of some voters to seize their PVCs, in the wake of the recent postponement of the general elections.

    APC said it is now getting clearer by the day what the PDP-led Federal government sought to gain by forcing the postponement of the elections for six weeks – which is to perfect their rigging plans. 

    Meanwhile, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) has criticized the negative posture and criticism of the election postponement by the APC.

   TAN Chief Executive, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, who spoke with journalists in Abuja said that it is only an irresponsible leader that will close his eyes and railroad his citizens into a raging fire as APC would wish.

    He commended the Prof Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for listening to the voice of reason and not the loud noise of the APC and his co-travelers who he said do not really mean well for the good people of this country.

    Ubah noted that the issues that led to the postponement of the polls dates as revealed by INEC was enough for any responsive and responsible organization to sit back and reflect on what was said and wait, hope and pray for the nation’s military as they intensify efforts to rid the country of insurgents.

    The APC spokesman appealed to its members and supporters in particular, and Nigerians in general, not to sell their PVCs under any guise, saying that is the only power they have to effect a meaningful change that can ensure the deliverance of democratic dividends to them.

‘’Our members have alerted us to the fact that PDP agents have been operating in all villages between Kobape and Orile-Imo along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State, giving 10,000 Naira to each poor villager and collecting their PVCs. The PDP agents are also promising each villager a monthly stipend of N10, 000 if and when their party assumes office in the state.

‘’Indications are that this objectionable PVC mop-up is being replicated in all opposition strongholds by the frenzied PDP, hence we at the APC have decided to alert the nation to the reprehensible act,’’ APC said.

The party also claimed that a company, Agro-Allied Communities Service Nigeria Limited, has been formed ostensibly to provide N50, 000 loan each to ‘empower’ women with the caveat that anyone seeking to get the loan must provide her PVC as ‘collateral’.

This, the party maintained was basically the essence of the establishment of the company that is supposedly a private concern but in reality a PDP front to mop up PVCs, especially in opposition strongholds.

The party also said that some Immigration personnel, acting under the guise of arresting illegal aliens with voter cards, are dispossessing a lot of unsuspecting locals in the northern part of the country of their PVCs. These unsuspecting people are arrested and their cards seized, all in an attempt to disenfranchise them.