Burnt INEC office: Uncollected PVCs not affected by the inferno-Official

Uncollected permanent voter cards kept in the burnt office of the Independent Electoral Commission in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra which came under attack in the early hours of Wednesday are safe. Equally, no sensitive material had been delivered at the office before the attack.

Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday where he gave the assessment of the damaged office.

He said the PVCs were kept in the fireproof cabinet in the office.

Okoye said the building was substantially damaged, stating that all furniture and other items were destroyed, including non-sensitive materials recently delivered in readiness for the 2023 General Election.

“Among the items lost to the inferno are 729 ballot boxes, 243 voting cubicles, 256 election bags, 11 megaphones, 1 electric power generator and large quantities of indelible ink and liquid gum.

“The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, reported that our office in Idemili South Local Government Area (LGA) was attacked and set ablaze by unknown gunmen. The incident occurred in the early hours of today Wednesday 1st February 2023.

“The destruction appears to have been coordinated as the Nnobi Police Station in the LGA was similarly attacked.

He said despite the despicable incident, “the Commission wishes to reassure the people of Idemili South LGA that contingency arrangement will be made to replace the materials and the Presidential and National Assembly elections will proceed on 25th February 2023 as scheduled, to be followed two weeks later by the State House of Assembly election.”