There has been a series of attacks on INEC in the last few months.
The new Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo State, Dr Tella Adeniran Rahman has called for the deployment of military personnel to offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
There has been a series of attacks on INEC in the last few months.
For instance, gunmen on Monday morning attacked the INEC office in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Three of the attackers were killed by the police while two Improvised Explosive Devices, three AK-47s, pump action guns and three vehicles were recovered.
The assailants destroyed part of the building using an explosive device.
SaharaReporters reported a similar attack on the INEC office in the Oru West Local Government Area of the state last Sunday.
The recent attacks come barely three months before the conduct of the 2023 general elections. Sunday’s attack in Owerri brings to eight the number of attacks on INEC facilities in five states within the last four months.
On Thursday, December 1, 2022, INEC office in the Orlu Local Government Area of Imo was also attacked.
As Nigeria prepares for the general elections to hold early next year, attacks on INEC offices have become commonplace.
SaharaReporters reported in November 2022 that INEC decried the recent attack on its local government office in Ogun State during which critical materials were also destroyed.
It was also reported that some hoodlums numbering about eight were said to have scaled the perimeter fence, jumped into the premises and set the INEC building on fire from the rear side.
In the same week, there was an attack on the commission’s office in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
While requesting the deployment of military personnel to secure all INEC offices in the state, Rahman noted that the commission depends on the military and other security agencies in the conduct of free, fair, credible elections.
Rahman said this when he and his team paid a courtesy visit to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Aminu Chinade recently.
The INEC official who noted that the commission’s target is to deliver 100 per cent success in all the elections, called for the proactiveness of the military, timely deployment of the military to polling units, sealing off all assess boundaries (roads), uniformity of security for easy identification and ensuring that the no movement order on election day is enforced.
Meanwhile, Chinade has described attacks on INEC offices across Nigeria as a big threat to the country’s democracy.
According to him, the attacks by hoodlums are meant to truncate democratic governance in the country.
He however reiterated that the military, other security agencies and indeed 2 Division as stakeholders are tasked, guided and keen on the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections.
Major General Chinade, therefore, assured that the military through its operation safe conduct will continue to give all necessary support and work with all stakeholders to ensure the smooth conduct of elections in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Chinade who used the occasion to welcome the new INEC Commissioner to Oyo State extolled him for the briefing and update on the operations and the level of preparedness of the electoral umpire in the state.