INEC Raises The Alarm Over Plot To Scuttle 2023 Polls
The helmsman of the commission said, unfortunately, some events in the recent past have challenged the commission and adversely affected our commitment to continue to improve the electoral process.
“Last Sunday, May 16, 2021, our state office in Enugu suffered yet another arson and vandalisation during which parts of the building were ransacked and several vehicles razed. And more of our facilities are being systematically targeted and attacked. On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, two more offices in Ebonyi and Ezza north local government areas of Ebonyi State were burnt down.
He stated that the facilities of the Commission are 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.
“To this end, a meeting with all the security agencies is holding on Monday 24, 2021. However, it has become imperative to call on all and sundry, particularly communities where these assets are located, to see themselves as owners and custodians of these facilities and assist the Commission in protecting them. I am glad that some of them are already doing so,” he said.
In addition to the by-elections, he said the commission successfully concluded stakeholder engagements on the expansion of voter access to polling units. Furthermore, he said preparations for the Anambra State governorship election to be held on November 6, 2021 and the FCT Area Council election scheduled for February 12, 2022, will be prioritised.
Similarly, he said, in Nnewi North in Anambra State, the community had also offered to repair the local government office destroyed during the #EndSARS protests. ”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 supported by security personnel,” he added.
“People who are undertaking this kind of suicidal mission are helping to erode the gains of democracy that we have garnered in this country so far.” Nzenwa noted that the consequence of these attacks would require additional funding for the electoral commission in order to recover the damage caused by the attacks.
The IPAC chairman noted that the challenge has gone beyond leaving security agencies to tackle it alone. He urged all Nigerians to be vigilant and volunteer information on how to ensure that the polity is better secured.
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