…Opposition alleges empowerment scheme may be used for voter profiling
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State have traded accusations over allegations that residents are being asked to surrender their voters’ cards, bank account details and thumbprints as conditions for accessing government empowerment and palliative programmes.
The controversy, coming ahead of the 2027 general elections, has triggered concerns over the possible use of government-funded empowerment programmes for political data gathering and voter mobilisation.
The Gombe State chapter of the PDP accused the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of allegedly collecting sensitive personal information from unsuspecting residents under the guise of enrolling beneficiaries for empowerment and palliative support.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, described the alleged development as disturbing and questioned why voters’ cards and biometric information should be required before citizens could benefit from government interventions.
According to him, public funds should not be used to profile citizens or make access to government support conditional upon the submission of sensitive personal information.
“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gombe State, has been drawn to information going round that the APC Government in the state under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is collecting personal details such as account numbers, voters’ cards and thumbprints from unsuspecting individuals in the name of disbursing palliatives to the people,” Dukku said.
The opposition party warned that the alleged practice, if true, raised serious questions about privacy, electoral integrity and the politicisation of government welfare programmes.
The PDP argued that empowerment initiatives funded with taxpayers’ money should be available to eligible citizens irrespective of their political affiliation and without conditions that could expose them to political manipulation.
Dukku said a genuinely transparent empowerment programme should not require citizens to surrender sensitive information unrelated to the distribution of assistance.
He further argued that the collection of voters’ cards and biometric details could amount to profiling, warning that such information could become politically significant as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
The PDP spokesman cited Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the privacy of citizens, and urged residents to exercise caution in releasing personal information to individuals or groups claiming to be conducting government empowerment registration.
He said voters’ cards remained personal electoral documents and should not become bargaining tools for accessing government benefits.
“Government empowerment is not a political favour. It is a public responsibility, particularly where public resources are involved,” the party maintained.
The development has further heightened political tension in the state, with the opposition insisting that authorities must clarify the purpose and legality of collecting such information from residents.
However, the Gombe State chapter of the APC dismissed the allegations outright, describing the claim as fake news.
Reacting to the controversy, the state APC Chairman simply told journalists: “Fake news.”
The party chairman, however, did not provide further details on whether any government agency, political group or individuals were collecting voters’ cards, bank account details or thumbprints from residents for empowerment registration.
The PDP has since challenged the state government to publicly clarify the alleged registration process and assure residents that government empowerment programmes are not being used to collect electoral data.
Political observers say the controversy could deepen as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections, especially amid growing concerns over the alleged use of government programmes and public resources for political mobilisation.
The allegations have also raised a broader question: Should Nigerians be required to submit their Permanent Voter Cards or biometric information before accessing empowerment programmes financed with public funds?
For now, the PDP insists the answer is no, while the APC maintains that the allegations are entirely false.
