PVCs, election materials destroyed as fire razes INEC office in Ebonyi

INEC national commissioner, Festus Okoye made this known in a statement on Sunday, November 27, 2022.

Okoye said the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ebonyi State, Mrs Onyeka Pauline Ugochi, reported that the incident occurred around 10.00 am when some unidentified persons set the entire building on fire.

According to him, no casualties resulted from the attack, but the main building and all the movable and immovable items inside it were destroyed.

Some of the items destroyed by the fire include ballot boxes, voting cubicles, Permanent Voters Cards, and furniture. 

“These include 340 ballot boxes, 130 voting cubicles, 14 electric power generators, large water storage tanks, assorted office furniture and fixtures, and yet-to-be-determined quantities of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies has been drawn to the incident and have commenced investigation.

“Sadly, this is the third attack on our Local Government office in less than three weeks following similar attacks on our offices in Ogun and Osun States on 10th November 2022,” the statement reads in part.

Okoye lamented that this is the third attack on the INEC office in less than three weeks following similar attacks on the commission’s offices in Ogun and Osun states on 10th November 2022.

He also said the attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies has been drawn to the incident and an investigation has commenced.