2023 polls: Dangers of attacking INEC facilities

Fears are ballooning day by day. And it is about the incessant burning of offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nationwide.

The comments by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, penultimate Wednesday confirmed this fear as much.

With the continued attacks on the commission’s facilities, the likelihood that these actions would affect the 2023 general elections is not in doubt, Yakubu noted moments after holding an emergency meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

As of the last count, a good number of the commission’s offices around the country have been destroyed with critical infrastructure.

This development, stakeholders say, would impact negatively on the commission’s capacity to manage the next general elections.

For these discerning stakeholders, these unrelenting attacks mean that the commission would be put on the edge, especially if its critical tools such as registers, card readers, among other essential electoral items, are affected.

Arson, Inferno
On January 28, 2019, there was a fire incident at the INEC office in Oyigbo local government area of Rivers State. But in a statement by the head of the Department of Voter Education and Publicity for the REC, Edion Enabor, said it was a minor incident.

According to him, contrary to some reports that it was caused by hoodlums, the fire was a result of an electrical fault.

Enabor said, “The management of the INEC in Rivers State wishes to inform the general public about a minor fire incident in Oyigbo local government area.

‘’Investigation has shown that it was caused by an electrical fault and not by hoodlums as insinuated in some quarters.

“We want to assure the public that everything is under control and that our offices across the state are well secured.’’

The following month, February 2019, hoodlums set the INEC office in Isiala– Ngwa South local government area of Abia State ablaze.

The hoodlums were said to have stormed the office around 2:00 a.m.
The attack was said to have woken up the youths in the area from their sleep.

They mobilized to report the matter to the police, who assisted them to put off the fire.

But although the fire did maximum damage to the structure and materials there, the quick intervention of the youths and assistance of the police saved the situation from escalating.
The commission, however, continued to operate from the old office, until few weeks before relocating from the local government headquarters.

That was the second time the INEC office at Isiala–Ngwa was burnt down.

The following week, on February 10, the Plateau State INEC office in Qua’anpapa local government area was destroyed.

Items lost to the destruction included ballot boxes, generators filled with fuel, cubicles, newly printed electronic and manual voters register, and unclaimed permanent voter cards.

Two days later, on February 12, the Anambra State Commission’s office in Awka, the state capital was set ablaze.

Card readers and other sensitive materials for elections were burnt. Two containers containing 4,695 smart card readers were destroyed, along with other sensitive documents.

Also on February 24, 2019, the Osun State INEC office in Ijebu–Ode, Oriade local government area of the state was razed down by fire which burnt parts of the office.

No life, however, was lost in the incident.

On March 8, 2019, the Akwa Ibom INEC office at Ibesikpo, Asutan local government area, was gutted by fire.

One hundred and ninety-eight smart card readers, printed voters register, 13 generating sets, voting cubicles, as well as other sensitive and insensitive election materials, got burnt.

The following day, March 9, 2019, the INEC registration office in Ebonyi State was set ablaze.

Before that, on March 3, 2019, the Jigawa INEC office in Gumel’s local government area was burnt. Everything was destroyed, including documents, furniture, generators, electronic gadgets, computers, among others.

Going by these incidents, Nigerians are apprehensive of what will be the outcome of the 2023 elections. Would the elections hold or not?

Prof. Sam Amadi of the Department of Political Science, University of Abuja, said the attacks by hoodlums on INEC offices, if not checked, may affect the commission’s ability to successfully conduct elections creditably.

“I am worried that INEC, a vital democratic institution in the country, has become a target of attacks by some hoodlums.

‘’No matter the reasons by anybody or group, the commission should not be a target for destruction.’’
Amadi said destroying the commission’s facilities amounts to destroying Nigeria’s democratic process.

According to the university don, sponsors and perpetrators of this type of heinous act should have a rethink on their dangerous mission to kill the country’s democracy and disrupt the 2023 general elections.

Amadi urged the Federal Government to beef up security at INEC offices nationwide to ensure a-24hour surveillance in order to arrest those behind the attacks and prevent further incidents.

Prince Felix Yobah, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Sky-high Security Limited, agreed with Prof. Amadi.

He said, not only should the Federal Government bombard all INEC offices with a security presence, it should prescribe maximum punishment for anybody that tampers with the commission’s facilities.