Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it’s investigating attacks on its facilities in some states.
INEC’s chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, made this known when he appeared before the House Ad-hoc committee investigating the attacks on the Commission’s facilities,
While warning that the attacks must stop, Yakubu assured the committee that the commission will recover from attacks on its facilities and conduct the 2023 elections.
He said the commission had witnessed 50 incidences in 15 states since 2019.
According to him, there were eight attacks in 2019, 22 in 2020 and 12 in 2021 while eight had been recorded in 2022.
The INEC chairman stated that Imo State topped the list with 11 incidences followed by Osun with seven, five cases in Enugu and Akwa Ibom, while Abia and Cross Rivers also had four incidences each.
He disclosed that two incidences were recorded in Anambra and Taraba states and one each in Bayelsa, Ondo, Lagos, Borno, Kaduna and Ogun states.
Yakubu informed the committee that while the commission is working to replace damaged or lost items as a result of the attacks, it cannot be doing that forever to conduct elections.
He informed that while INEC is taking measures including relocation of some of the offices from vulnerable areas, it is working on use of technology and collaborating with security agencies to do everything to stop the attacks on its facilities.
He further reiterated that despite the seeming threat to the 2023 elections and the spate of attacks by criminals on its facilities, the commission is confident that such attacks will not stop the conduct of the elections.