Hoodlums set fire to an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Anambra State’s Idemili South Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday.
Festus Okoye, National Commissioner of INEC and Chairman of Information Education, confirmed this in a statement.
Okoye stated that the attack was reported to the commission by Elizabeth Agwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State.
According to him, the attack “significantly damaged” the structure.
He said, “All furniture and other items were destroyed, including non-sensitive materials recently delivered in readiness for the 2023 general election.
“Among the items lost to the inferno are 729 ballot boxes, 243 voting cubicles, 256 election bags, 11 mega phones, one electric power generator and large quantities of indelible ink and liquid gum.”
However, an INEC official stated that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) kept in the commission’s “fireproof cabinet” were unaffected by the attack.
He also stated that at the time of the attack, no sensitive materials had been delivered to the local government area office.
Okoye said the attack appeared to be coordinated because the gunmen also attacked a police station in Nnobi.
Despite the attack, INEC assured that the general elections in 2023 would go ahead as planned.
“Despite this despicable incident, the commission wishes to reassure the people of Idemili South Local Government Area that contingency arrangement will be made to replace the (destroyed) materials and the Presidential and National Assembly elections will proceed on 25th February 2023 as scheduled, to be followed two weeks later by the House of Assembly election,” Okoye said.
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