The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo State and particularly in the Ondo South Senatorial District, of attempts to steal the personal information of electorates to manipulate the 2023 general elections.
This was contained in a statement made available to SaharaReporters on Wednesday by the Director of Media & Publicity, PDP 2023 Ondo South Senatorial District Campaign Council, Allen Sowore Esq.
Sowore alleged that APC through its senatorial candidate, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, and his supporters issued cards to voters to fill their information which would enable the ruling party to access their profile on the INEC’s portal.
The statement reads: “This is to officially call the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and most importantly, the general public to the ongoing illegal, clandestine and cunning collection of personal data of Voters' Cards of the electorates across the six local government areas of Ondo South Senatorial District through the issuance of a purported "Social Welfare Card" christened card ÀSEYORÍ by the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) and its Senatorial candidate, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim.
“The card specifically demands the applicant's NAME, ADDRESS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, VOTERS NUMBER, WARD & UNIT. The implications of this is that the unsuspecting applicants would willingly surrendered the same data and information already supplied to INEC to the APC for easy access and possible software theft of their Voters' Cards.
“This public alert becomes imperative because under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), only the Federal Government through its agencies is vested with such power to collect vital personal citizens' identities and information. Ultimately, this is tantamount to surreptitious software theft of data on voters' cards by the ruling party in Ondo state to prepare the ground for scientific rigging of the 2023 General Elections.
“It therefore behoves the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) as a critical stakeholder in the forthcoming election to urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Services and other security agencies to nib this ugly situation in the bud by putting a halt to this illegality immediately, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”