The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has held a meeting at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja with National Commissioners, Secretary to the Commission and all Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) across the states over attacks on its offices.
Prof. Yakubu described the spate of arson and vandalisation targeting the Commission’s facilities and property as profoundly worrisome.
He noted that such events in the recent past have challenged the Commission and adversely affected its commitment to continue to improve the electoral process.
“Last Sunday, 16th May 2021, our State office in Enugu suffered yet another arson and vandalisation in which parts of the building were ransacked and several vehicles razed. And more of our facilities are being systematically targeted and attacked.
“Just last night, Tuesday 18th May 2021, two more offices in Ebonyi and Ezza North Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State were burnt down. Although there were no casualties, the damage to the physical infrastructure and electoral materials was total. Nothing has been salvaged from ballot boxes and voting cubicles to generating sets and office furniture and equipment,” the INEC Chairman pointed out.
Prof. Yakubu noted that the attacks on its offices are orchestrated and targeted acts of unjustifiable aggression which may undermine the Commission’s capacity to organise elections and dent the nation’s electoral process.
“The facilities of the Commission are there to serve the local communities for the most fundamental aspect of democratic governance, which is elections.
“Therefore, targeting such important national assets and repositories of electoral materials that took time and enormous resources to procure cannot be justified.
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“Replacing these facilities in the prevailing economic circumstances will indeed be a tall order, thereby adversely affecting electoral services in the same communities.
“These facilities are not only limited to voting but also used for other critical electoral activities such as voter registration, the coordination of stakeholder engagements and voter education and sensitisation,” he said.
Prof. Yakubu restated the Commission’s readiness to work with the security agencies to deal with the perpetrators of these heinous crimes according to the law.
“To this end, a meeting with all the security agencies is holding on Monday 24th May 2021,” he said.
Video: Opening Remarks by the Hon.Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at the ongoing meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at Commission’s HQ Abuja. pic.twitter.com/0nsEzjJZH4
— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) May 19, 2021
The INEC Chairman called on all and sundry, particularly communities where the Commission’s assets are located, to see themselves as owners and custodians of the facilities and assist the Commission in protecting them.
“I am glad that some of them are already doing so. For this reason, I must put on record the fantastic partnership between the Commission and the communities we serve. These communities share with the Commission the commitment of improving electoral services to Nigerians.
“They have over the years supported the Commission during all electoral activities from CVR to the conduct of polls. Some of them actually donated the land on which some of our Local Government offices are built.
“Even in the recent events of arson and vandalisation, many of them have demonstrated exceptional willingness to support the Commission. The Commission does not take such partnerships for granted.
“I wish to thank our host communities in all parts of the country and appeal to them to continue to see INEC property as both national and local assets to be protected.
“In the light of the current circumstances, today’s meeting with RECs, who lead our offices in the States, will take briefings from across the country on threats to INEC facilities and deliberate on how best to protect them.
“I believe that we can dig deep and draw from the Commission’s longstanding partnership with communities in this regard, in addition to depending on the invaluable support of our security agencies.
“Consequently, the challenges posed by these threats notwithstanding, we are still positive that we can find lasting solutions to the spate of attacks on our facilities.
“However, this must be done quickly to forestall disruptions to several upcoming electoral activities, particularly the CVR exercise which we plan to undertake continuously in 2,673 centres nationwide for a period of over one year involving thousands of INEC officials,” Prof. Yakubu said.
