Date: 2018-12-20

Kwara State Police command has warned politicians in the state against buying Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from the electorate.

Spokesman of the command, Ajayi Okasanmi told The Guardian in Ilorin yesterday, that the act is a criminal offence under the Constitution and Electoral Act.

The police said: "We are yet to get any formal report on this allegation. But one thing that is unambiguous is that it is a crime. We are going to invoke all the powers under the law to bring those involved to book, when they are reported to us and we confirm them to be true."

The warning followed an alarm raised by a House of Assembly candidate for Irepodun Constituency of the state, Mr. Tayo Awodiji, alleging the purchase of PVCs by some political leaders.

Awodiji, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleged that politicians are buying the cards from house to house at N10, 000 each.

In a related development, a coalition, West African Network for Peace Building (WANEP) South-South zone, has warned against violence in the upcoming polls.

Zonal Coordinator of WANEP, Eme Okon, urged members to voluntarily sensitise the public against violence.

The civil group stated this yesterday in Calabar, during their zonal annual general meeting to prepare members to promote peace during elections.

In a keynote presentation, Mr. Godson Jim-Dorgu from Bayelsa, said election violence is not peculiar to Nigeria, as many countries today had passed through same process before they became better.

Also, Delta State focal person, Bridget Affiah, charged members not to engage in spreading false news that could promote violence.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari and 40 other presidential aspirants are expected to attend a summit on violence-free 2019 General Election tomorrow in Abuja.

A statement by host of the summit, Zahrah Mustapha Audu, said the event themed: "Violence-Free Election,' is at the instance of the Presidential Summit Centre.

However, Pre-Election Observers (PREOs) have alerted that there are early warning signs of violence in some states across the country.

The report by Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, said its second Pre-Election Observation (PREO) report showed that the northwest has the highest threat of pre-election violence.

The report cited physical attack against women during campaigns in Benue, Kogi, Borno, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Imo and Oyo States.

YIAGA further alleged illegal procurement of PVCs in 15 states that include Benue, Kogi, Nassarawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Imo, Rivers, Oyo and Yobe States.