BEVERLY HILLS, February 12, (THEWILL) – The Resident Electoral Commissioner, in Anambra State, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, has expressed doubts over elections taking place in the state on Saturday as fire gutted containers with card readers at the Secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Awka, around 2.30pm on Tuesday.
Speaking with journalists at the Secretariat of the Commission in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Orji said, “I can’t tell you here now that elections will take place in the state on Saturday or not.”
He said the commission would have to do an evaluation of the quantum of destruction done by the fire before coming out with a position on the situation.
He said the fire destroyed card readers meant for the Saturday elections in the state.
“We don’t have any provision in the container for the plugging of electrical appliances,” the REC stated.
The incident sparked confusion as INEC officials preparing for the elections scuttled to safety while security operatives are assisting a team of firefighters battling to contain the fire outbreak.
This is the third time in one week that fire incident would be recorded in the offices of the electoral body.
Last week, permanent voter cards were set ablaze at the INEC office in Isialangwa south local government area of Abia. On Saturday, fire also destroyed permanent voter cards and other electoral materials at the commission’s office in Qua’an Pan local government of Plateau.
After the Plateau incident, Mohammed Adamu, acting inspector general of police, “ordered a comprehensive, round-the-clock” security in all offices and facilities of INEC nationwide and directed all commissioners of police in the 36 states and Abuja to put in place “adequate, functional and purposeful” security arrangements aimed at protecting all INEC offices and materials from all forms of crimes and mischief before, during and after the elections.
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