The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has summoned an Emergency meeting of an Inter-Agency Cumulative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), to discuss some disturbing issues.
Fire engulfs Ogun INEC office ….this is shocking, Resident Commissioner
The meeting which was scheduled for tomorrow, Friday,11th, November was summoned to discuss the recent attacks on the Commission’s Facilities and the rising incident of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of campaign.
Recall that early this morning, the case of how hoodlums burnt the office of INEC office situated at Iyana Mortuary in Abeokuta-South,Ogun State and Oke-Iresi in Ede South local government in Osun State was widely reported..
During the inferno,some of the properties of the Commissioner were reportedly destroyed.
Reacting to the incident, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye said the attention of the Nigeria Police Force,NPF and other security and safety agencies have been drawn to the incidents and have since commenced a investigation.
“With just 106 to the 2023 General Election when the commission has commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide,these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome indeed,”INEC lamented
“Similarly, the rising incident of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of campaign barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary languages by some politicians are extremely disturbing.
“Accordingly,the Commission has convened an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Cumulative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) tomorrow Friday 11th, 2023 to discuss the disturbing trend.”
Recounting the loses so far in the recent attacks on both Ogun and Osun offices, Okoye disclosed that:
In Ogun,the main building and all the Commission’s movable assets in the office were destroyed which include 904 ballot boxes,29 voting cubicles,30 megaphones,57 election bags,8 electric power generators and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voters Cards(PVCs).
In Osun, the commission said, the damage in Ede, Osun State was limited to a section of the building and only some furniture items were destroyed.
