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Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akwa Ibom State has assured the electorate in Ibesikpo Asutan local government of the state that elections would still hold in the area despite the damage of some electoral materials in Nung Udoe office of the commission.
INEC office in Ibesiko Asutan, situated at Nung Udoe, was gutted by fire and according to INEC commissioner, Mr Mike Igini, many card readers and other electoral materials were destroyed.
Igini however, said ballot papers were not destroyed by the inferno which damaged the inner part of the building without touching the exterior part.
He said the commission would mop up materials from other offices to offset the damage so that elections would still go ahead as planned.
When our correspondent visited the office situated along Ikot Obio Odongo road via Nung Udo, heavily-armed policemen were guarding the area even as hundreds of youths were found milling around.
One of them said they learnt about the carnage that morning and decided to come and stand sentry till the election tomorrow to forestall any recurrence.
He said he did not know the extent to which the fire had destroyed materials in the building as they were not allowed by the police to get close to the building or take a look at the burnt interior.
He, however, said they suspected sabotage. “The person must have used explosive devices to cause a fire inside the building, ” the anonymous respondent said.
The state police command said although they had earlier provided what appeared as adequate security to all INEC offices in the state, the incident would make them do some reinforcement to guard against any eventuality.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Mr Odiko MacDon, told our correspondent that “the police are aware that INEC office in Nung Udoe Ibesikpo was gutted by fire, the caused of which are yet to be ascertained.
“However, the commissioner of police has directed the assistant commissioner of police in charge of the state CID to carry out a thorough investigation to determine whether the fire was natural or if it was arson.
“Where it is established that it was arson, the CP has directed that the perpetrators be identified, arrested, prosecuted in accordance with extant laws,” MacDon said.
He explained that in case the fire was an act of arson, “the CP has also directed further that all INEC offices, which before now have been seriously fortified, that a reinforcement of security to ensure that materials both sensitive and non-sensitive and personnel around the INEC offices are well protected in order to ensure that tomorrow’s governorship /state House of Assembly elections come and go in a very peaceful atmosphere.”
