By Ikenna Esogibe and Austin Chikwado
The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has begin indirect purchase of Permanent Voters Card belonging to Imo voters at the rate of fifteen thousand naira across the twenty seven local government areas of the state.
This was following the announcement made by Uzodinma through his commissioner for information, Declan Emelumba who urged all Imolites to visit their political wards and register for Imo social security numbers to access free empowerments from his administration.
Monitoring the exercise on Tuesday afternoon, newsmen captured many members of APC exchanging money worth of fifteen thousand naira in exchange of their voters card at umuoruronjo Civic hall in owerri municipal council where the state Chairman of APC, MacDonald Ebere comes from.
Newsmen who were told at the venue of it’s collection that the Govenor mandated all ward Chairmen and their 27 Man executives to mobilize all voters in their respective Polling
Units and get their voters VIN numbers.
A resident of owerri who pleaded anonymity has revealed how his friend who was identified as APC chieftain in Azuzi ward told him to provide details of his Permanent Voters Card for exchange of Fifteen thousand naira cash.
The source revealed that he was invited by his friend to come and register for Imo State Government empowerment scheme where he was embarrassed with a request to give out his voters registration details for possible manipulations.
He stated; over two thousand PVC have already been collected before my arrival since the exercise started. I can not compromise my franchise for just a token.” He said.
Meanwhile, many social crusaders in the state had earlier raised alarm over the ongoing exercise.
They alleged that Uzodinma APC led administration is cloning Imo peoples voters card through the controversial empowerment scheme for the sole aim of rigging the November 11 state poll.
This speculation started after the governor’s chief of staff, Barr Nnamdi Anyaehe and the INEC resident electoral commissioner in the state, Prof Sylvia Agu were seen in a close door meeting at one of the popular hotels in Owerri.
The recent outing by Uzodinma’s aide and the INEC resident electoral commissioner is said to have left Imolites in fears over the forthcoming state governorship election.
Every effort to reach Imo State commissioner for information, Emelumba for clarification was proofed abortive as at the press time.
