The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Burnt has described as disturbing attacks on its offices in some states and on supporters of various political parties by some peoples, few months to general elections.
Barr. Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee gave this position on Thursday when reacting to two separate attacks on the commission offices in Ogun and Osun States.
Okoye said: “This morning, the Commission received two disturbing reports of attacks on our Local Government offices in Ogun and Osun States.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ogun State, Dr. Niyi Ijalaiye, reported that our office in Abeokuta South Local Government Area was attacked and set ablaze.
“The incident occurred around 1.15am when some unidentified persons overpowered the security personnel on duty and set the entire building ablaze.”
The legal luminary said that INEC’s main building and all the Commission’s movable assets in the office were destroyed in the inferno.
According to him, the Items destroyed include 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting cubicles, 30 megaphones, 57 election bags, 8 electric power generators and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
“Similarly, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, reported that our office in Ede South Local Government Area was attacked and set ablaze.
The incident occurred in the early hours of this morning when some unidentified persons attacked the building and set a portion of it ablaze.
“Fortunately, the damage to our Ede South Local Government was limited to a section of the building and only some furniture items were destroyed,” he said.
INEC’s spokesman said that the attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies had been drawn to the incidents and they had commenced investigation.
Okoye said that, with just 106 days to the 2023 General Election when the Commission has commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide, the simultaneous attacks were very worrisome indeed.
He added: “Similarly, the rising incidents of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of campaign barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary language by some politicians are extremely disturbing.
“Accordingly, the Commission has convened an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) tomorrow Friday 11th November 2023 to discuss the disturbing trend.”
