PDP Accuses Gombe Govt of Collecting Voters’ Cards, Biometric Data for Empowerment
By The Analyst
The Gombe State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of allegedly collecting voters’ cards, bank account details and thumbprints from residents under the guise of an empowerment programme.
The allegation was contained in a press release dated September 9, 2026, signed by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku.
According to the PDP, information reaching the party indicated that individuals participating in the empowerment programme were being asked to provide sensitive personal information, including account numbers, Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and biometric details.
The opposition party described the alleged practice as a matter of concern, arguing that government empowerment initiatives funded with public resources should be accessible to citizens irrespective of their political affiliations.
The PDP further contended that beneficiaries should not be compelled to surrender sensitive personal information as a condition for accessing government-funded interventions.
The party also raised constitutional and data privacy concerns, citing Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the privacy of citizens.
It argued that voter cards contain sensitive information capable of identifying individuals and their voting locations, warning that improper collection, handling or disclosure of such data could expose citizens to privacy violations, intimidation, fraud or political manipulation.
The PDP consequently urged residents of Gombe State to exercise caution and refrain from surrendering their personal details to what it described as “unpatriotic elements” in exchange for material benefits.
The party also advised citizens to safeguard their voter cards ahead of the forthcoming elections, describing the PVC as an important instrument for determining the political future of the state.
However, the allegations contained in the PDP statement have not been independently verified by The Analyst, and the press release did not provide specific names of officials, locations, beneficiaries or documentary evidence to substantiate the claims.
The Gombe State Government and relevant agencies would therefore be expected to clarify whether PVCs, account information and biometric data are being collected as part of the empowerment programme, and, if so, explain the legal basis, purpose and safeguards governing such data collection.
The controversy comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, making questions surrounding the use and protection of citizens’ personal and electoral information particularly sensitive.