The Edo State Village Boys Movement (ESVBM), a political group supporting Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, has alleged a plot to clone Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) using artificial intelligence (AI) technology in Edo State.
The group, in a press statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Osayimwense Isabeghian, said it had received what it described as credible intelligence and reports from its ward coordinators about an alleged plan to produce cloned PVCs on a large scale to undermine the will of voters.
The movement described the alleged scheme as an attack on democracy and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a forensic audit of PVCs and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in the state.
However, the statement did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation of PVC cloning.
The group also linked the allegation to reported remarks by the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, who it claimed had threatened voters with the use of firearms if they failed to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu.
The movement condemned the alleged remarks, describing them as inflammatory and unacceptable. It accused the APC leadership in the state of contributing to political tension and demanded that Tenebe address the allegations.
The claims concerning PVC cloning and the reported threats were made by the group and were not independently verified in the statement.
Group Demands INEC, Police Investigation
The ESVBM called on the INEC chairman to order an immediate forensic audit of PVCs and BVAS machines in Edo State.
It also urged the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner to publicly assure residents that their voter cards were secure.
The group further called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate both the alleged threats by Tenebe and the purported PVC cloning operation.
It appealed to civil society organisations and international election observers to closely monitor developments in the state.
Movement Vows to Defend Votes
The group said it would mobilise its members to peacefully and lawfully occupy and defend polling units across Edo State to prevent electoral malpractice.
It warned that it would resist any attempt to rig elections in the state, while maintaining that any action taken by its members would be lawful.
“Edo State belongs to Edo people, not to Emperor Jarrett Tenebe or any political party,” the statement said, adding that intimidation would not stop the group from defending voters’ rights.
The statement ended with the slogans: “We Will Resist Rigging! Edo Votes Must Count! No to AI PVC Cloning!.
The statement was issued by Isabeghian on behalf of the Edo State Village Boys Movement, which identified itself as a movement supporting Peter Obi and Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 elections.
