Attacks: INEC to relocate offices in vulnerable areas

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has said that the commission will recover from attacks on its infrastructure and hold the elections in 2023.

However, Yakubu stressed that the attacks must stop. He made the comment on Friday while making a submission before the House Ad-hoc committee looking into the attacks on the Commission’s infrastructure.

He claimed that since 2019, the commission had observed 50 incidents across 15 states.

He claimed that eight attacks occurred in 2019, 22 in 2020, 12 in 2021, and eight were reported in 2022.

The INEC chairman reported that Imo State had the most incidents, with 11, followed by Osun with 7, Enugu and Akwa Ibom with 5, and Cross Rivers and Abia with 4 each.

He added that there were two incidents in the states of Anambra and Taraba and one each in the states of Bayelsa, Ondo, Lagos, Borno, Kaduna, and Ogun.

Yakubu said to the committee that, despite the fact that the commission is working to replace any items lost or destroyed as a result of the attacks, it cannot continue to hold elections while doing this.

He stated that while INEC is working on using technology and coordinating with security authorities to do everything possible to halt the attacks on its facilities, it is also taking precautions, including as moving some of the offices out of susceptible regions.

He added that the commission is sure that these attacks would not prevent the conduct of the elections, despite the apparent threat to the 2023 elections and the recent wave of criminal attacks on its infrastructure.

The probe was sparked by a resolution placed before the House on the “Need To Condemn The Attacks On Offices and Facilities OF The Independent National Electoral Commission,” according to the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by Leke Abejide.

“The House has highlighted the regular systemic attacks on INEC people, offices, and facilities, which are obviously intended to cripple the commission and thwart the 2023 general elections,” he stated.

The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Taiwo Oluga, opened the meeting with the statement, “It is documented that, since 2019, more than 40 INEC offices and facilities have been attacked and set on fire.

The damage of INEC properties, election supplies, and most significantly, thousands of Permanent Voter Cards, was the outcome of these attacks.

The ability of INEC to conduct elections could be compromised by these carefully planned attacks, which also risk having a negative effect on the results of the elections in 2023.