The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that thugs who attacked two of its offices in the states of Ogun and Osun destroyed 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
Festus Okoye, the chairman of the INEC Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed that crooked individuals also destroyed 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting booths, 30 megaphones, 57 election bags, and eight electricity generators.
Separate attacks took place at the commission’s headquarters in Ogun State’s Abeokuta South Local Government Area and Osun State’s Ede South Local Government Area.
In a statement, Okoye said that both incidents happened early on Thursday and that, while the Abeokuta office’s entire building was burned down, only a portion of the Ede office was damaged.
Security authorities have been notified, according to the INEC National Commissioner, and an investigation into the alarming attacks has started.
“These simultaneous attacks are very worrisome indeed,” he said, “with just 106 days to the 2023 General Election when the Commission has started the movement of materials to our offices nationwide.”
Okoye added that the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) emergency meeting has been scheduled for Friday, November 11, 2023 to review the “disturbing trend” of political violence.
He bemoaned the “increasing incidents of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the campaign’s launch barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary language by some politicians.”
