BY EDMOND ODOK – The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has raised the alarm that some unscrupulous officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are plotting to hand over millions of unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
Accordingly, the MDPCO urged the electoral umpire to immediately address the allegation, warning that any attempt to compromise the custody of unclaimed PVCs could undermine the credibility of the elections and pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
In a fierce statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the Ccampaign Organisation also warned that a system breach looms large if collusive election officials deliberately open the gates of our polling units, allowing unauthorized actors to exploit uncollected voting cards and warp the democratic will in favor of the ruling party.
Ihediwa said there are emerging signals that rogue agents within INEC have already started working in cohort with certain officials of APC to pave the way for mass rigging, maintaining that these disturbing allegations has now placed a “huge burden” on INEC to provide Nigerians with clear assurances on the security and custody of the uncollected PVCs.
The statement said: “An unclaimed PVC must neither be a disposable property nor a political asset to the enemies of credible elections,” insisting that such cards must remain “a strictly controlled electoral instrument” to prevent electoral fraud.
Noting with grave concern the visible unease and jitters within the ruling party, over the undeniable groundswell of cross-national alignment behind the Seyi Makinde/Lawal Daura presidential ticket on the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) platform, the MDPCO said in pursuit of institutional accountability, INEC should publish a comprehensive, state-by-state ledger of all uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
It said to ensure these self-serving and corrupt officials’ actions do deeply undermined INEC’s integrity, this disclosure must specify exact quantities and detail the rigorous security protocols deployed to eliminate any vulnerability to unauthorized access, breach, collection, or irregular transfer.
While reaffirming its stance and support for a free and fair electoral process, the Campaign Organisation said: “Nigerians do not need post-election explanations; they deserve pre-election transparency”, urging the electoral Commission to transcend mere assurances and institutionalize the concrete, verifiable mechanisms required to safeguard and guarantee the absolute sanctity of the ballot.
Focused on mobilizing a nationwide call to action, the MDPCO challenged Nigerians to transform their polling units into fortresses of transparency and accountability by actively monitoring and reporting any foul play to security agencies and accredited observers.
The Campaign Organisation also took its demands to the global community, urging international observers and election monitors to hold INEC’s feet to the fire by demanding absolute transparency, adding that the stakes for the 2027 general elections could not be higher because it must “not be an exercise in which Nigerians merely vote; it must be an election in which every legitimate vote is protected and every attempt to manufacture or manipulate votes is decisively resisted”.
The MDPCO further declared that it must not be business as usual where citizens merely vote, but an election that throws up an unyielding defense of democracy where every valid vote is shielded and all fraudulent activity aggressively resisted by all well-meaning Nigerians.
It said that ultimately, the nation will not tolerate a 2027 presidential election result that distorts or silences the true voice of the Nigerian people and the mandate freely given to the candidate of their choice.
