The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Katsina State, Alhaji Salimu Lawal Boyi, has warned electorates against selling their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), urging them to protect their voting rights ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Boyi, who is also the state chairman of the Accord Party, alleged that some individuals were going from house to house, particularly targeting women, with promises of empowerment and other forms of assistance in exchange for their voter cards.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday after a meeting of political party chairmen in Katsina, he urged residents not to surrender their voting rights for promises of support that might never materialise.

“I am calling on the people to stop selling their rights because that voter card is their right,” he said.

The IPAC chairman described the PVC as an important instrument for citizens to participate in elections and hold political leaders accountable.

He called on eligible voters in the state to come out and collect their PVCs, stressing that active participation in the electoral process was essential to ensuring good governance.

“The council’s message to the people is that they should come all out to collect their PVCs because it is the only weapon a politician should acquire to defend himself against bad government,” Boyi said.

He also urged residents to be wary of individuals making promises of empowerment in exchange for their voter cards, warning that such arrangements could deprive them of their right to freely choose their leaders.

Boyi spoke against the backdrop of preparations by political parties for the 2027 general elections, urging eligible voters to protect their electoral rights and make informed decisions at the polls.