Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gombe State has said it is expanding its electoral polling units with an additional 770 new ones across the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, stated at the weekend during a stakeholders’ meeting that new settlements are among areas that would mostly benefit from the creation of the new units which was last created over 25 years ago.
The meeting was on the expansion of voters’ access to polling units held at the conference hall of the Federal Secretariat in Gombe.
He said the expansion became necessary following embarrassing challenges that included congestion at polling units due to growth in population; long distance between polling units which affects voter turnout among other reasons during elections.
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Another office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, has been razed down by hoodlums.
The National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced that the office which was burnt on Sunday was recently renovated.
An excerpt of the statement shared by The Nation read:
“The Commission met today, Monday 10th May 2021, and discussed a wide range of issues, including a disturbing report from Abia State. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Dr. Joseph Iloh, reported that INEC’s recently renovated office in Ohafia Local Government Area has been set ablaze.
Vanguard News
INEC LG office in Abia set ablaze by hoodlums
On
By Omeiza Ajayi – Abuja
The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state has been set ablaze by hoodlums.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued Monday in Abuja.
According to him, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Dr. Joseph Iloh had reported that INEC’s recently renovated office in the local government was set ablaze on Sunday night.
“There are no casualties on the part of our staff on guard duty but the building was virtually destroyed. Apart from furniture items, all electoral materials and office equipment were destroyed”, he stated.
Punch Newspapers
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Segun Adewole
Published 10 May 2021
The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State has been set ablaze.
This happened on Sunday night days after the Commission’s office in Akwa Ibom was set ablaze by unknown men.
The incident was confirmed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Dr. Joseph Iloh, when the Commission met today to discuss a wide range of issues.
A statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye Esq, revealed that the attack is not the first the Commission has suffered in the state in recent times.
The Abia REC also confirmed the ugly incident to
Channels Television, adding that INEC staff with the help of a local vigilante group made efforts to put out the fire.
While noting that no life was lost, the REC appealed to security operatives to up their game and assist in protecting INEC offices.
“I do not know why the attack on the office, last week, Department of State Services(DSS) and security operatives circulate information about pending attacks on Federal government offices,” he said.
“I quickly direct all Electoral officers (EO) to disclose the information to their local government Chairmen to assist to set up a local vigilante group to guide the offices, then on Sunday night, the unknown hoodlum set the INEC prototype office ablaze.