By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“What you saw in Imo, in Kogi and Bayelsa is the new strategy of conducting elections that has now become consolidated. They don’t even hide it anymore that they are not interested in the ballot box, they are not interested in ballot papers.”
Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the Nigeria’s February 25, 2023 election, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, has described the electoral system in Nigeria currently as one that, by implications, is not worth of anyone’s confidence and trust.
That was interpretation of the pro-democracy activist’s reaction, which he gave while fielding questions from Journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Wednesday.
Sowore, asked to bare his mind on the recent elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states, said those elections he had long predicted were predetermined.
He said what the electoral umpire that is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) calls PVC, as an acronym, is better said to be Poverty Verification Card, meaning to confirm the holder is poor.
And he explained, “On Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa State elections, well, if anything else, I have already predicted that these elections are predetermined.
“What they call the PVC is Poverty Verification Card. It’s meant to confirm that you are poor.”
Mr. Sowore, who is also the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, refused to give himself any restlessness anymore about Nigerian elections, saying those who manipulate the process no longer hide their electoral crimes.
He said, “What you saw in Imo, in Kogi and Bayelsa is the new strategy of conducting elections that has now become consolidated. They don’t even hide it anymore that they are not interested in the ballot box, they are not interested in ballot papers.
“They are not even hijacking ballot boxes anymore. They just write the results and they announce whatever they want.
“So, INEC which is the conduit for rigging election should be given a Nobel Prize for redefining the meaning of election especially Yakubu,” he recommended.
