65,000 Voters May Be Disenfranchised As Fire Guts Ogun, Osun INEC Offices

No fewer than 65000 voters may not have the opportunity of voting in next year`s general elections as their voters cards have been consumed in an inferno that gutted the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in Ogun and Osun states.

This is as the electoral umpire has summoned an emergency meeting of the security meeting over recent arsonist attacks on its facilities in Osun and Ogun states.

INEC noted that the parley which would be attended by heads of security agencies, who are members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) including the National Security Adviser (NSA) would discuss the disturbing trend with 105 days to the 2023 general election.

Suspected arsonists reportedly set the INEC offices located at Abeokuta South local government area of Ogun State and Ede South local government area of Osun State ablaze.

A statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja signed by the national commissioner and chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, confirmed the arsonist attacks.

He said, “This morning, the commission received two disturbing reports of attacks on our local government offices in Ogun and Osun states.

Suspected Hoodlums Set Ogun INEC Office On Fire

“The resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Ogun State, Dr. Niyi Ijalaiye, reported that our office in Abeokuta South local government area was attacked and set ablaze.”

Okoye said the incident occurred around 1:15 am when some unidentified persons overpowered the security personnel on duty and set the entire building ablaze.

He said the main building and all the commission’s movable assets in the office were destroyed.

“They include 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting cubicles, 30 megaphones, 57 election bags, eight electric power generators, and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

“Similarly, the resident electoral commissioner for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, reported that our office in Ede South local government area was attacked and set ablaze.

“The incident occurred in the early hours of this morning when some unidentified persons attacked the building and set a portion of it ablaze.”

Fortunately, he said the damage at the INEC office in Ede South local government area was limited to a section of the building and only some furniture items were destroyed.

“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security and safety agencies has been drawn to the incidents and they have commenced investigation.

“With just 106 days until the 2023 General Election when the Commission has commenced the movement of materials to our offices nationwide, these simultaneous attacks are very worrisome indeed.

“Similarly, the rising incidents of attacks on supporters of various political parties since the commencement of campaign barely two months ago and the use of hate and incendiary language by some politicians are extremely disturbing,” he said.

Accordingly, he said the commission had convened an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) tomorrow (today) Friday 11th November 2023 to discuss the disturbing trend.

And in pursuant to Sections 9(6) and 19(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to display the Preliminary Register of Voters Containing 93,522,272 registrants for public scrutiny slated from 12th to 18th November 2022.

During the display exercise, any person can make a claim relating to omission, corrections of personal details on the register, raise an objection on the inclusion of the name of any person not qualified to vote on the register as well as deceased person on the register.

INEC disclosed this in a statement titled: ‘Methodology For Display Of Voters’ Register For Claims And Objections By Nigerians’ signed by the national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye yesterday in Abuja.

As earlier announced by the commission, he said the entire preliminary register containing 93,522,272 registrants would be published.

“The exercise will last for two weeks, from 12th -25th November 2022. The physical copies of the register will be displayed in all the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) and 774 Local Government Areas on polling unit basis nationwide.

“For the first time, the soft copy of the entire register will also be published on the Commission’s website (visit www.inecnigeria.org/display_register and follow the instructions),” he said.

Okoye said that the register would give the name, picture, date of birth, and Voter Identification Number (VIN) of each registered voter.

However, for data protection and security reasons, he said critical information such as biometric details, residential addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of voters will not be made public on both the physical and soft copies.

“As the exercise commences on Saturday 12th November 2022, we appeal to Nigerians to seize the opportunity to scrutinize the register and draw the commission’s attention to any corrections in their personal particulars and any malicious registrations, multiple registrants, non-Nigerians or any other person not qualified to be on the register.

“Detailed clarification on the processes and procedures for the exercise, including relevant forms, can be obtained from the commission’s officials at the points of display at Registration Areas (Wards) and Local Government Areas. The information has also been uploaded to the commission’s website and social media platforms,” he said.

By the provisions of the law, he said cleaning up the voters’ register was a collective national responsibility.

So far, Okoye said the commission had weeded out ineligible registrants using its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).

“By working together with citizens, we can clean the register further as it is the critical foundation for credible elections,” he added.