Don’t Auction Your PVCs, Bishop Okoye Warns Anambra Voters Ahead of 2025 Poll

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Bishop of the Diocese of Ihiala, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Prof. Israel Kelue Okoye, has warned Anambra voters against selling their Permanent Voter Cards to desperate politicians ahead of the November 8, 2025 governorship election.

Speaking during the third session of the fifth Synod of the diocese held at St. Stephen’s Diocesan Church Centre, Ihiala, on Saturday, the cleric cautioned that no sensible person should supervise their own political liquidation by trading their civic power for money.

He lamented that vote buying is being fueled by poverty and hunger, accusing politicians of hiring rented crowds and weaponising economic hardship to manipulate vulnerable citizens.

Okoye also blasted the recurrent defection of governors, lawmakers and local government officials across political parties, calling it a direct insult on the electorate who entrusted them with mandates.

He urged candidates to pursue issue-based campaigns rather than theatrics or staged popularity, warning against sycophants who sing “hypocritical heroic songs” for personal gain at the expense of the people’s welfare.

He stressed that electioneering should provide citizens with the clarity to choose competent leaders committed to development—rather than cash-and-carry politics.