JUST IN: Hoodlums attack, set ablaze INEC office in Imo

The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Imo was attacked and set ablaze by unknown individuals.

Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, revealed this in a statement on Friday.

After attacks in Ogun, Osun, and Ebonyi states, this is the fourth attack on Local Government INEC offices in the last three weeks. The structure was previously set on fire in 2020 and is currently undergoing substantial renovations.

Three of the seven construction workers, according to the statement, were kidnapped but later freed.

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The statement read, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State, Professor Sylvia Uchenna Agu, reported that our office in Orlu Local Government Area was attacked. The incident occurred yesterday Thursday, December 1, 2022.

“The building, which is undergoing extensive renovation following an earlier attack, was vandalized and partially set ablaze.

“Three out of seven construction workers were abducted but later released.

“The damage would have been more extensive but for the quick response of the Nigeria Police which has deployed its personnel to the site.

“This is one attack too many. The Commission once again expresses its concern over the spate of attacks on its facilities and the negative consequences on our preparations for the 2023 General Election.”

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it is working with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to resolve network issues that may arise in poor network areas over the uploading of results for the 2023 elections.

The election umpire also announced yesterday that citizens who participated in the last voters’ registration exercise ahead of the 2023 general elections would be able to collect their Permanent Voters Cards from December 12, 2022.

The Chairman of the Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed the overture to the NCC yesterday during a one-day strategic interactive session with journalists in Lagos.

The proposition to NCC follows concerns raised by Nigerians on the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in areas with poor networks. Yakubu said the commission would meet with the NCC next Tuesday to discuss mobile network issues that may affect the transmission of results in such areas.

He added that Nigerians have nothing to worry about regarding the effectiveness of result transmission during the 2023 elections using the BVAS.

Yakubu said: “INEC has identified blind spots (where there is poor or no network) and we are working to make sure there won’t be any problem.

“We are working with the NCC to make sure we transmit from blind spots. They are the network regulators and they will be very vital to that. We are making sure and working hard so that we transmit freely all around the country.”

In his remarks, Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of, the Information and Voter Education Committee, appealed to the media to continue to assist the commission to fight misinformation.

Okoye said with 84 days to the general election, the spread of fake news and misinformation on the electoral process had become worrisome.
He said there is a need for the media to assist in tackling the menace of false information for a successful general election in 2023.