Yakubu Deplores Attacks On INEC Facilities

4 years ago
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Attacks on INEC facilities jeopardizing Nigeria's electoral process, says  Yakubu | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsPolitics — The  Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News
 Chairman of the Independent National Commission (INEC) ,Prof.Mahmood Yakubu,has said that the sustained aggression against the commission, seen in the vandalization and burning of INEC offices and property in parts of the country, cannot be justified under any guise.
He stated this while addressing an emergency meeting of all 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held Wednesday at the commission’s headquarters, in Abuja.
He said the unfortunate attacks which has become a pattern, has constituted a dent on the nation’s progressive match and  improvements in the electoral process towards the 2023 general elections.
“Some events in the recent past have challenged the Commission and adversely affected our commitment to continue to improve the electoral process. The spate of arson and vandalisation targeting the Commission’s facilities and property has become profoundly worrisome.
“Unfortunately, this has been on the rise since the 2019 general election but has now developed into a crisis. In the last three weeks or so, three of our Local Government offices in Essien Udim in Akwa Ibom State, Ohafia in Abia State and Udenu in Enugu State have been set ablaze by unidentified persons. 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”.
Assuring that INEC is working with security agencies to bring perpetrators to justice, Prof Yakubu however alerted that the deliberate attacks is undermining its commitments to improve the electoral process.
He assured that despite the setbacks the commission remains undaunted in its  programme for an early preparations for the 2023 General Election.
“In this regard, the Commission has already established an Election Project Plan (EPP) Committee to work on the 2023 election plan. The idea is to complete the Plan early enough and make sure that we are fully ready for the election, which is now only 640 days away….
“I am also glad to report that the Commission has virtually completed the necessary preparations for the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) commencing on 28th June 2021. What is left is to finalise the newly established Polling Units in order to update our registration software to make them available to registrants”.
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