ADC Alleges Mass PVC buying in Northern Nigerian, Demands Urgent INEC Probe

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over what it described as an organised operation to purchase and collect Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from citizens across parts of Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party alleged that it had received multiple reports indicating that individuals acting in the interest of the ruling party were offering money to vulnerable citizens in exchange for their PVCs.

According to the party, it is already documenting the reports and gathering credible evidence on those allegedly behind the operation.

The ADC warned that the alleged scheme goes beyond ordinary vote-buying, describing it as a deliberate attempt to suppress voters and deny citizens their constitutional right to participate in elections.
“This is not ordinary vote-buying. A PVC collected from its rightful owner cannot ordinarily be used by another person because accreditation requires biometric verification. The real objective may therefore be to prevent targeted citizens from voting altogether. This is organised voter suppression, and it represents a direct assault on the constitutional rights of Nigerians,” the statement read.

The party called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to immediately investigate the reports, identify those financing and coordinating the alleged operation, and prosecute anyone found purchasing, collecting or unlawfully retaining voters’ cards.

ADC also urged Nigerians approached by PVC buyers to reject the offers, preserve any available evidence and report such incidents to INEC, security agencies or the nearest ADC office.

Abdullahi further alleged that worsening economic hardship should not be exploited for political gain.

“The same ruling party under whose watch millions of Nigerians have been pushed deeper into poverty must not be allowed to weaponise that poverty against them. Those who have failed to earn the people’s confidence must not be permitted to purchase their silence,” he said.

Describing the PVC as a symbol of democratic power, the party cautioned citizens against surrendering their cards for short-term financial benefits.

“A PVC is not merely a piece of plastic. It is the citizen’s voice, power and protection against bad government. The money offered for it may last for one day, but the consequences of surrendering it will last for four years.”

The opposition party also appealed to civil society organisations, election observers, the media, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community groups to intensify public awareness and expose any attempt to disenfranchise eligible voters before the 2027 elections.
It maintained that any coordinated effort to remove PVCs from citizens amounts to an attempt to determine the outcome of an election by deciding who gets to vote.

The ADC concluded with an appeal to Nigerians,
particularly voters in the North, to safeguard their voter cards and exercise their franchise, insisting that no one should be allowed to turn economic hardship into electoral advantage.