diff --git a/errormsg/error.go b/errormsg/error.go
index 490236c..559583d 100644
--- a/errormsg/error.go
+++ b/errormsg/error.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package errormsg
 
 var (
-	ErrorInvalidCreator = "invalid creator address (%s)"
-	InvalidRequest      = "invalid request"
+	CouldNotGetValidatorIdentity = "could not get validator identity"
+	ErrorInvalidCreator          = "invalid creator address (%s)"
+	InvalidRequest               = "invalid request"
 )
diff --git a/util/determine_block_proposer.go b/util/determine_block_proposer.go
index 22a4c73..a6db7a2 100644
--- a/util/determine_block_proposer.go
+++ b/util/determine_block_proposer.go
@@ -23,35 +23,37 @@ type KeyFile struct {
 	PrivKey Key    `json:"priv-key"`
 }
 
-func GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx sdk.Context, rootDir string) (string, bool) {
+func GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx sdk.Context, rootDir string) (validatorIdentity string, err error) {
 	cfg := cometcfg.DefaultConfig()
 	jsonFilePath := filepath.Join(rootDir, cfg.PrivValidatorKey)
 
 	jsonFile, err := os.Open(jsonFilePath)
 	if err != nil {
 		GetAppLogger().Error(ctx, "error while opening config", err.Error())
-		return "", false
+		return
 	}
 	jsonBytes, err := io.ReadAll(jsonFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		GetAppLogger().Error(ctx, "error while reading file", err.Error())
-		return "", false
+		return
 	}
 
 	var keyFile KeyFile
 	err = json.Unmarshal(jsonBytes, &keyFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		GetAppLogger().Error(ctx, "error while unmarshaling key file", err.Error())
-		return "", false
+		return
 	}
-	return strings.ToLower(keyFile.Address), true
+	validatorIdentity = strings.ToLower(keyFile.Address)
+	return
 }
 
-func IsValidatorBlockProposer(ctx sdk.Context, proposerAddress []byte, rootDir string) bool {
-	validatorIdentity, validResult := GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, rootDir)
-	if !validResult {
-		return false
+func IsValidatorBlockProposer(ctx sdk.Context, proposerAddress []byte, rootDir string) (result bool) {
+	validatorIdentity, err := GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, rootDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 	hexProposerAddress := hex.EncodeToString(proposerAddress)
-	return hexProposerAddress == validatorIdentity
+	result = hexProposerAddress == validatorIdentity
+	return
 }
diff --git a/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_distribution_request.go b/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_distribution_request.go
index 97d1ef3..61c4e5b 100644
--- a/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_distribution_request.go
+++ b/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_distribution_request.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	errorsmod "cosmossdk.io/errors"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/errormsg"
 	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/util"
 	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/x/dao/types"
 )
@@ -28,9 +29,13 @@ func (k msgServer) DistributionRequest(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgDist
 	util.GetAppLogger().Info(ctx, distributionRequestTag+"storing distribution: "+msg.GetDistribution().String())
 	k.StoreDistributionOrder(ctx, *msg.GetDistribution())
 
-	validatorIdentity, validResult := util.GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, k.RootDir)
-	if !validResult || msg.Distribution.GetProposer() != validatorIdentity {
-		util.GetAppLogger().Info(ctx, distributionRequestTag+"Not the proposer. valid result: %t proposer: %s validator identity: %s", validResult, msg.Distribution.GetProposer(), validatorIdentity)
+	validatorIdentity, err := util.GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, k.RootDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		util.GetAppLogger().Error(ctx, distributionRequestTag+errormsg.CouldNotGetValidatorIdentity+": "+err.Error())
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if msg.Distribution.GetProposer() != validatorIdentity {
+		util.GetAppLogger().Info(ctx, distributionRequestTag+"Not the proposer. proposer: %s validator identity: %s", msg.Distribution.GetProposer(), validatorIdentity)
 		return &types.MsgDistributionRequestResponse{}, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_init_pop.go b/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_init_pop.go
index 86305f6..870c33c 100644
--- a/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_init_pop.go
+++ b/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_init_pop.go
@@ -4,10 +4,15 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/errormsg"
 	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/util"
 	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/x/dao/types"
 )
 
+var (
+	initPopTag = "init pop tag: "
+)
+
 func (k msgServer) InitPop(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgInitPop) (*types.MsgInitPopResponse, error) {
 	ctx := sdk.UnwrapSDKContext(goCtx)
 
@@ -19,8 +24,12 @@ func (k msgServer) InitPop(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgInitPop) (*types
 
 	k.StoreChallenge(ctx, challenge)
 
-	validatorIdentity, validResult := util.GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, k.RootDir)
-	if validResult && msg.Initiator == validatorIdentity {
+	validatorIdentity, err := util.GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, k.RootDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		util.GetAppLogger().Error(ctx, initPopTag+errormsg.CouldNotGetValidatorIdentity+": "+err.Error())
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if msg.Initiator == validatorIdentity {
 		go util.SendMqttPopInitMessagesToServer(ctx, challenge)
 	}
 
diff --git a/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_reissue_rddl_proposal.go b/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_reissue_rddl_proposal.go
index cf6bf4d..6f0a1f1 100644
--- a/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_reissue_rddl_proposal.go
+++ b/x/dao/keeper/msg_server_reissue_rddl_proposal.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	errorsmod "cosmossdk.io/errors"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/errormsg"
 	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/util"
 	"github.com/planetmint/planetmint-go/x/dao/types"
 )
@@ -29,9 +30,13 @@ func (k msgServer) ReissueRDDLProposal(goCtx context.Context, msg *types.MsgReis
 	reissuance.LastIncludedPop = msg.GetLastIncludedPop()
 	k.StoreReissuance(ctx, reissuance)
 
-	validatorIdentity, validResult := util.GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, k.RootDir)
-	if !validResult || msg.Proposer != validatorIdentity {
-		util.GetAppLogger().Info(ctx, reissueTag+"Not the proposer. valid result: %t proposer: %s validator identity: %s", validResult, msg.Proposer, validatorIdentity)
+	validatorIdentity, err := util.GetValidatorCometBFTIdentity(ctx, k.RootDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		util.GetAppLogger().Error(ctx, reissueTag+errormsg.CouldNotGetValidatorIdentity+": "+err.Error())
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if msg.Proposer != validatorIdentity {
+		util.GetAppLogger().Info(ctx, reissueTag+"Not the proposer. proposer: %s validator identity: %s", msg.Proposer, validatorIdentity)
 		return &types.MsgReissueRDDLProposalResponse{}, nil
 	}