2023: Attacks on our facilities must stop – INEC chair

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has again called on security agencies and other stakeholders in the country to halt further attacks on the commission’s facilities ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He made the call while making a submission before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the attacks on the commission’s facilities.

While noting that the commission had witnessed 50 incidents in 15 states since 2019, Prof Yakubu who also gave details of the states affected, said Imo topped the list with 11 incidents, followed by Osun with seven; five cases in Enugu and Akwa Ibom each, while Abia and Cross River had four incidents each.

He further informed that two incidents were recorded in Anambra and Taraba states each, while Bayelsa, Ondo, Lagos, Borno, Kaduna and Ogun states recorded one case each.

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He told the committee that while the commission was working to replace damaged or lost items as a result of the attacks, it could not be doing that forever to conduct elections.

He said INEC was taking measures, including relocating some offices from vulnerable areas, adding that it was working in collaboration with security agencies to do everything to stop the attacks.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations, Mustapha Dan Daura, said the police had been at the receiving end of the attacks as they continued to lose personnel in the attacks.

The IGP, who blamed most of the attacks on secessionists, especially IPOB and ESN, said, “These groups are bent on stopping elections from taking place in the South East.

“They have been attacking our personnel; they have been killing our personnel. They have been retrieving arms from members of the security agencies; not only the police, the military and other paramilitary organisations that are there.”

He, however, assured that the police were working with other security agencies to ensure a conducive atmosphere for conduct of the elections.

Earlier, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, represented by Leke Abejide, said the investigation was precipitated on a motion brought before the house over the spate of attacks on INEC’s facilities.