The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has summoned an emergency meeting of the security meeting over recent attacks on its facilities.
The parley, which will be attended by heads of security agencies, who are members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) including the National Security Adviser (NSA) will discuss the disturbing trend.
National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye disclosed that the meeting was triggered by the attacks on the commission’s Local Government offices in Ogun and Osun States on Thursday.
Okoye said the hoodlums carried out the attacks in Abeokuta Local Government and Ede South Local Government Areas in the two southwest states on Thursday morning.
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.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incidents and they have commenced investigation.
“With just 106 days 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.
“Similarly, 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.
“Accordingly, the Commission has convened an emergency meeting of the ICCES tomorrow Friday 11, November 2023 to discuss the disturbing trend.”
Also, The Independent National Electroal Commission (INEC) office in Abeokuta South Local Government Area in Ogun and Ede South Local Government Area Osun States have been attacked and set ablaze.
The National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye stated this in a press statement on Thursday in Abuja after the report from the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Ogun State, Dr. Niyi Ijalaiye and the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke.
The National Commissioner informed that the Commission has convened an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) tomorrow Friday 11th November 2023 to discuss the disturbing trend.
He explained that the incident occurred around 1.15 am when some unidentified persons overpowered the security personnel on duty and set the entire building ablaze.
According to him, 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).
“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.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incidents and they have commenced investigation.
“With just 106 days 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.
“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” he said.
However, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday warned political parties against flouting campaign expenses laws, saying it would sanction defaulters.
Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the FCT INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), gave the warning at a news conference in Abuja.
Bello said the commission was putting all efforts in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections in the FCT.
“We have to observe campaign expenditure, this is very important and it is for political parties .
“We will host political parties in a conference to lecture them on political campaigns and spending during campaigns because there are lots of rules and guidelines guiding their campaign expenditures.
“I wish to inform you that there are laws and ethics governing our monitoring of political parties and these are guided by the Electoral Act, Police Act, INEC’s regulations and guidelines among others.
“There is a code of conduct for media regulations as well as for political parties they provide sanctions in the event of a breach,” he said.
Bello, therefore ,advised all political parties , partners and those who will partake in the elections including the press to take note of the provisions .
He said this would help to avoid breaching electoral rules and regulations.
Bello said listed some of the rules to include “no violence ,no use of any physical force during political campaigns and no political campaign should be conducted inside the premises of religious organisations.”
He added that no political campaign should be based on ethnicity, or religious persuasions and political parties should avoid hate speech.
Also, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo says it will begin the distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) on Saturday.
The office also said that the preliminary voters register of all those who have registered would be on display beginning from Saturday.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo, Mr Obo Efanga, made this known during a handing and taking over ceremony organised by the office.
“You will be shocked that we still have PVC of 2010 and 2011 that have not been collected.
“The only way to ensure that people collect these PVCs is to encourage them. But you know that people wait till the last moment to rush to collect the card.
“Beginning from Saturday when we are going to have display of preliminary voter register, at the ward level the cards are going to be available there and people can pick them from there.
“Because sometimes people say the distance to local government may be far from the ward, we have brought them to the ward for them to collect.
“It is the comprehensive voter list of each polling unit that will be on display at the ward level, so any body who is eligible to vote in the next election, the name would be there.
“People are encouraged to go and check and if their names are not there they should file objection or bring it to our attention, we would correct them.
“Elections are quite close, we have more than 100 days to the general elections and so we have to double up our activities,” he said.
He noted that the office has received the non-sensitive materials for the elections adding that, sensitive materials would arrived closed to the election.
Efanga noted that the outcome of the last governorship election in Edo was a pointer that a lot had changed with INEC.
“The INEC election result viewing portal is very active, given the way people have shown Interest in the next elections, I expect that every Nigerian by now should have signed up to that site,” he observed
