The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says
critical election materials were destroyed in the attack at the commission’s
local government office in Ogun.
Recall that the commission’s office was gutted by fire in the
early hours of Thursday after suspected hoodlums torched the facility.
Festus Okoye, INEC’s commission for information and voter
education, said over 65,000 uncollected PVCs were destroyed in the fire.
“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,” he said in a statement.
“The incident
occurred around 1.15am when some unidentified persons overpowered the security
personnel on duty and set the entire building ablaze.
“The main building and all the commission’s movable assets
in the office were destroyed. They include 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting
cubicles, 30 megaphones, 57 election bags, 8 electric power generators and
65,699 uncollected permanent voters cards (PVCs).”
Okoye said the one of the commission’s offices in Osun was
also attacked and set ablaze, and that an emergency security meeting had been
called to get to the bottom of the electoral threats.
“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,” he
said.
“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
[office] was limited to a section of the building and only some furniture items
were destroyed.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other
security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incidents and they have
commenced investigation.”
Okoye said, with just 106 days to the 2023 general election
when the commission has commenced the movement of materials to its offices
nationwide, these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome.
He said 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.
According to him, INEC has convened an emergency meeting of
the inter-agency consultative committee on election security (ICES) for Friday
to discuss the disturbing trend.
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