Nigeria: INEC to Hold Emergency Meeting Over Attacks On Offices

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to hold an emergency meeting with all Resident Electoral Commissioners across the states over attacks on its offices in some parts of the country.

INEC chairman, information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued Friday in Abuja, adding that all RECs would be summoned in Abuja on May 19.

INEC said Friday that fire gutted its Udenu local government area office in Obollo Afor, Enugu State on Thursday, describing it as another setback to its ongoing activities and preparations for upcoming electoral activities.

The commission’s office in Ohafia local government area of Abia State was set ablaze by hoodlums on Sunday night, a week after the commission’s headquarters in Essien Udim local government area of Akwa Ibom State, was also razed by unknown persons.

The commission in a statement by Mr Festus Okoye, its national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education committee in Abuja on Friday expressed concern that the spate of fire incidents involving facilities of the commission in some states had unfortunately persisted.

RELATED: Again, INEC LG Office Set Ablaze In Abia

“This time around, it is Enugu State, where the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Mr Emeka Ononamadu, has reported that the INEC office in Udenu LGA was set ablaze,” he said.

He said the latest tragic incident occurred at about 8.40 pm on Thursday, but no casualties were reported.

He, however, said the office building was extensively damaged while electoral materials and office equipment were destroyed in spite of the best efforts of the Enugu State Fire Service to contain the inferno.

Okoye said the attention of the police had been drawn to the yet another very worrisome development for investigation.

“This is the third incident involving INEC’s local government offices in three states in less than two weeks.

“First, there was the destruction of the office in Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State on May 2. This was followed by the fire at the Ohafia LGA office in Abia on May 9.

“This is yet another setback to the commission’s ongoing activities and preparations for upcoming electoral activities,” he said.

Okoye recalled that following the attack in Abia, the commission resolved to convene an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) this week to discuss the disturbing trend.

He said the latest destruction of the commission’s physical infrastructure and electoral facilities in Enugu State called for an immediate review of the measures necessary to secure INEC’s assets across the states.

“Consequently, the commission is convening an emergency meeting with all the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on Wednesday, May 19, in Abuja ahead of the meeting of ICCES,” he said.

The national commissioner, however, expressed the commission’s determination to continue to discharge its responsibilities, including the conclusion of the expansion of voters’ access to polling units.

The commissioner of police in Enugu State, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, has ordered an investigation into the incident. Aliyu also directed the cordoning off of the scene for the thorough probe to further ascertain the actual cause of the fire outbreak and damages incurred.

The state’s police spokesman, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) early Friday.

By Leadership.