[ad_1]
By Omeiza Ajayi
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it will continue preparations for Saturday's presidential and national elections, despite recent attacks against two of its offices.
Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC's Information and Electoral Training Committee, revealed this information in a statement issued Sunday night in Abuja.
According to him, the fire occurred on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at the local government headquarters of the Pan Qua'an commission in the Plateau State region is the second of this type of incidents in less from one week. The first incident occurred on Saturday, Feb. 2 in the local government commission office of Isiala Ngwa South in the state of Abia.
READ ALSO: The Supreme Court did not stop us from being elected – Rivers APC
However, Okoye said: "The Commission will proceed as planned in the affected local government areas and all burned materials will be replaced in time and will not disrupt the elections."
Among the items destroyed in the local government of Isiala Ngwa South, there are 2979 permanent voting cards (PVC) and other documents. Among the items destroyed in the Pan Office in Qua'an are 5987 permanent cards not collected, 380 voting cubes, 755 ballot boxes, 14 generators, election forms and official stamps.
The Commission stated that it informed the Inspector General of the Interim Police of the new fire tendencies of local Commission offices near the elections and at a time when the Commission was engaged. in the mbadive movement of elections. related materials nationwide.
"In response to these developments, the Commission has taken the following measures:
"Informed the Inspector General of Police of this new trend and requested that additional security measures be put in place to enhance security around INEC offices and other key structures Commission.
"Has instructed the Plateau State Resident Election Commissioner to open a registry of all affected local government area people who approach the Commission to collect their SSCs on time outsourced. The Commission will print the PVCs and make them available for collection in time for the elections.
"Reprinted and surrendered the permanent voter registration cards of the concerned registered voters to Isiala Ngwa South, Abia State.
"Temporarily made arrangements for the relocation of the burned offices of the Commission. These offices will be ready for the elections of February 16 and March 2, 2019.
"All relevant security agencies have been asked to arrest and bring to justice the individuals or groups involved in the attacks on the Commission's offices".
The two fire incidents did not affect the currently configured smart card readers in the respective national offices of the Commission.
"The Commission is anxious to badure all Nigerians that it will not succumb to inflammatory antics that could have the effect of sowing fear in the minds of voters and sabotaging the holding of general elections. of 2019, "added the INEC.
[ad_2]
Source link
