Men dressed in military uniform attacked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benue State just days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
While addressing the media on Thursday, February 14, 2019, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, said the attack on the commission’s vehicle happened late on Wednesday, February 13.
He said the vehicle was transporting non-sensitive materials ahead of the highly-anticipated elections on Saturday, February 16.
“Recently, our vehicle which was conveying non sensitive materials was attacked along Logo area by people in military uniform,” he said.
The attack comes on the heels of a series of troubling fire incidents that have hit the electoral umpire of late.
The commission lost 4,695 smart card readers in a fire that destroyed two containers filled with election materials at its Anambra State head office on Tuesday, February 12. It was the third INEC office to be torched by fire in 10 days after the ones in Isiala Ngwa LGA in Abia State on Saturday, February 2 and Qua’an Pan local government area of Plateau State on Saturday, February 9.
Container on fire in INEC’s Anambra State office [Channels Television]
According to a statement signed by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, on Monday, February 11, the commission has requested additional security measures to enhance security around INEC offices and other critical structures of the commission.
“The commission wishes to assure all Nigerians that it will not succumb to the antics of arsonists whose motive might be to create fear in the minds of voters and sabotage the conduct of the 2019 general elections,” he said.
2019 general elections
Nigerians will troop to the polls in two days
The 2019 general elections will kick off with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 16 while Governorship and State Assembly elections will take place on March 2.
A total of 84,004,084 are registered to vote in the elections.
