INEC holds an urgent meeting in response to an attacks on its facilities

Following the deliberate burning of INEC offices in the states of Ogun and Osun, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called an emergency gathering to discuss the situation.

Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), made this information available to the public on November 10th.

Okoye, who proved that the gathering was called due to the attack vectors in Osun and Ogun, stated that it would be attended by heads of security agencies who really are representatives of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), including the Adviser on National Security. Okoye also revealed that the gathering was called due to the attack vectors in Osun and Ogun (NSA).

In preparation for the elections in 2023, they are going to have a conversation about the unsettling trend and figure out measures to put a stop to it.

He 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 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).

“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.”

In addition to this, he said that the Nigeria Police Force as well as other security and safety organizations had been made aware of the incidences and that an inquiry had already been initiated.

Okoye added;

 “With just 106 days to the 2023 general elections when the commission has commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide, these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome indeed.”