Hoodlums Raze Another INEC Office In Abia

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state has been set
ablaze by hoodlums.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter
Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a
statement issued Monday in Abuja.

According to him, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the
State, Dr. Joseph Iloh had reported that INEC’s recently renovated
office in the local government was set ablaze on Sunday night.

“There are no casualties on the part of our staff on guard duty
but the building was virtually destroyed. Apart from furniture
items, all electoral materials and office equipment were
destroyed”, he stated.

Explaining that the matter has been reported to the police for
investigation, INEC recalled that only last week, its office in
Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was attacked
and expressed anxiety about the impact of such attacks on electoral
activities, including the ongoing expansion of voter access to
Polling Units, resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration
(CVR), pending bye-elections, end-of-tenure elections and
ultimately the 2023 General Election.

“The latest incident in Abia State is one too many. This is not
the first attack on the Commission’s facilities in the State in
recent times. Five months ago on 13th December 2020, the INEC LGA
office in Aba South was completely burnt down while that of
Arochukwu LGA was vandalised and ransacked in October 2020.

“These facilities are national assets, which must be protected.
Accordingly, the Commission is convening an emergency meeting of
the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security
(ICCES) next week to discuss this disturbing trend.

“Meanwhile, the Commission wishes to reassure Nigerians that all
activities in relation to the ongoing expansion of voter access to
Polling Units and preparations for the resumption of CVR as well as
all scheduled elections will proceed as planned”, the commission
added.

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state has been set
ablaze by hoodlums.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter
Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a
statement issued Monday in Abuja.

According to him, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the
State, Dr. Joseph Iloh had reported that INEC’s recently renovated
office in the local government was set ablaze on Sunday night.

“There are no casualties on the part of our staff on guard duty
but the building was virtually destroyed. Apart from furniture
items, all electoral materials and office equipment were
destroyed”, he stated.

Explaining that the matter has been reported to the police for
investigation, INEC recalled that only last week, its office in
Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was attacked
and expressed anxiety about the impact of such attacks on electoral
activities, including the ongoing expansion of voter access to
Polling Units, resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration
(CVR), pending bye-elections, end-of-tenure elections and
ultimately the 2023 General Election.

“The latest incident in Abia State is one too many. This is not
the first attack on the Commission’s facilities in the State in
recent times. Five months ago on 13th December 2020, the INEC LGA
office in Aba South was completely burnt down while that of
Arochukwu LGA was vandalised and ransacked in October 2020.

“These facilities are national assets, which must be protected.
Accordingly, the Commission is convening an emergency meeting of
the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security
(ICCES) next week to discuss this disturbing trend.

“Meanwhile, the Commission wishes to reassure Nigerians that all
activities in relation to the ongoing expansion of voter access to
Polling Units and preparations for the resumption of CVR as well as
all scheduled elections will proceed as planned”, the commission
added.