Edo State governor Adams Oshiomhole on Monday charged the police and other security agencies in the state to conduct necessary investigations and apprehend some desperate politicians who are alleged to be purchasing Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, from eligible voters with a view to disenfranchising them in the forthcoming general elections.

The governor, who gave the charge when he received the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in the state, Samuel Damilola Adegbuyi, during the latter’s visit to the Governor’s Office in Benin, said the reports of desperate politicians buying PVCs were worrying.

The governor said he had received on a daily basis reports that politicians in the state were buying PVCs from voters, sometimes for as low as N5,000

“I am trying to understand what anybody can do with this, it is not clear. Somebody called me this morning to say that two persons came to him to complain that they gave them N5,000 in lieu of their PVC saying they were going to keep it for them and then they destroyed the PVC in their presence,” Oshiomole said.

He condemned the action, wondering why after the huge resources committed by government to registration of voters, production and distribution of the PVCs, some people would want to disenfranchise some persons by paying them to surrender their PVCs for destruction.

Pledging to continue to enlighten the public on the value of the PVC, the governor stated that it is necessary to inform the people to let them know the implication of selling their PVCs.

“We are going to sustain our enlightenment campaign and let our people know that because these cards are permanent, if you sell it now, you have sold your birth right for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Oshiomhole said, “In this state, we launched one man one vote and we naturally count on the police to ensure that Nigerians are able to vote without fear and that there is security to ensure that the votes are actually counted that whoever wins or loses, there is peace and security before, during and after the elections.”

The governor commended the police command in the state for its performance in, while highlighting the challenges before the new commissioner.

“There is no pretending to the fact that you are assuming duty at a very critical period. Even at that, I think your predecessor and his officers worked so hard and so efficiently that we have not had the kind of crisis which some states have witnessed in the course of electioneering before the recent postponement.”

The governor said that the police had been fair been fair in providing security for all politician canvassing for the people’s vote which had ensured peaceful election campaigns.

The new police chief pledged to do everything humanly possible to continue maintain the peace and fight crime in the state.

Assuring the government and the people of Edo State of his commitment to preserving peace, security and unity in Edo State, the commissioner promised to collaborate with other security agencies in order to guarantee the safety of residents.

He solicited the cooperation of the state government and the public in the policing efforts to achieve and sustain peace in the state.