41 INEC offices destroyed in 14 states – Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu

Chairman of the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu has disclosed that 41 of its places of work have been attacked in 14 states since 2019.

Mahmood disclosed this on the emergency assembly of the Inter-Company Consultative Committee on Election Safety (ICCES), held on the fee’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday Could 27.

He mentioned preliminary evaluation signifies that 1,105 poll packing containers, 694 voting cubicles, 429 electrical producing units and 13 utility autos (Toyota Hilux) had been misplaced within the assaults.

The electoral fee boss mentioned;

“Within the final two years, the Fee has recorded a complete of 41 incidents involving deliberate assaults on the Fee’s services.

“9 of those incidents occurred in 2019 and 21 circumstances in 2020. Within the final 4 weeks, 11 places of work of the Fee had been both set ablaze or vandalised.

“Two of those incidents had been brought on by Boko Haram and bandit attacks whereas 10 resulted from thuggery throughout the election and post-election violence.

“Nevertheless, nearly all of the assaults (29 out of 41) had been unrelated to election or electoral actions. In truth, 18 of them occurred throughout the EndSARS protests in October final yr whereas 11 assaults had been organised by ‘unknown gunmen’ and ‘hoodlums’.

“Though the Fee is assessing lack of supplies throughout current assaults, our preliminary evaluation up to now signifies that we misplaced 1,105 poll packing containers, 694 voting cubicles, 429 electrical producing units and 13 utility autos (Toyota Hilux).

“By working together with the safety companies, we will cease these assaults and the wanton destruction of essential electoral belongings.”

Mahmood additionally warned that such assaults would possibly have an effect on future elections if not checked. He added;

“These assaults, which initially appeared as remoted and occasional actions, have now grow to be extra frequent and systematic focused at demobilising and dismantling essential electoral infrastructure within the nation.

“This is not going to solely undermine the Fee’s capability to organise elections and different electoral actions however may even injury the nation’s electoral course of and democracy.

“Certainly, these assaults on the Fee’s services ought to now be handled as a nationwide safety emergency.”

Yakubu mentioned an final result of the assembly needs to be “an all-year-round, end-to-end safety of electoral services beneath the auspices of ICCES”.

He additionally disclosed that two main elections will probably be carried out within the nation within the subsequent 9 months.

Mahmood mentioned;

“Within the subsequent 9 months, two main elections will probably be carried out. The Anambra State Governorship election is scheduled to carry on sixth November 2021 to be adopted by the end-of-tenure elections for 68 Space Council constituencies within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) holding on twelfth February 2022.

“These main elections will probably be adopted by the Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections forward of the 2023 Common Election which is simply 632 days away.

“Along with elections, the Fee can also be making ready for the resumption of the nationwide Steady Voter Registration (CVR) train on twenty eighth June 2021 to allow Nigerians who have attained the age 18 years and people who didn’t register beforehand to take action.

“Equally, registered voters who want to change their voting places and people who want to appropriate their names and different particulars on their Everlasting Voters Playing cards (PVCs) can accomplish that.

“We plan to create 2,673 registration centres and deploy 5,346 officers for the train together with costly voter enrollment machines. All these actions require safety, thereby including to the urgency and significance of this assembly.”