Chatham House: Yakubu Reveals Implication Of Attacks On INEC Offices

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, spoke today about the implication of repeated attacks on the commission’s facilities ahead of the 2023 general election.

Naija News reports that there have been a series of attacks by hoodlums on INEC offices across states. The electoral body has in different publication lamented the situation which was a setback to its preparations ahead of the forthcoming polls.

Addressing an audience on Tuesday (today) at Chatham House, London, Yakubu decried the increasing attacks, saying the implication was that the commission would have to continue to rebuild the burnt facilities and also replace damaged materials.

The INEC boss said in spite of the the development, the commission is ready to conduct the 2023 general elections as scheduled.

According to Yakubu, at least 50 facilities of the commission were attacked in the last four years. He, however, assured that INEC, in collaboration with security agencies, had increased security presence in some of the attack-prone locations.

Yakubu recalled at Chatham House that the last attack on the commission’s facilities happened last week Sunday but the commission was able to respond quickly with the help of the military, thereby minimising the extent of damage done to that attacked facility.

He said: “In four years, 50 facilities (have been) attacked in various parts of the country. The implications of the attacks is that we have to rebuild facilities and replace materials. The commission and security agencies have increased their presence in some of these locations. The last attack happened on Sunday last week but because of the cooperation between the military and the electoral commission, we were able to respond and the damage was limited to just a section of the building in a local government office.

“The commission has repeatedly called for concerted efforts to control and check these attacks and in December last year the National Assembly held a public hearing on these attacks and we hope that authorities have these attacks under control and the response by the security agencies is more coordinated.

“But in spite of these attacks we will rebuild facilities and replace damaged and lost items, the elections will hold,” Yakubu said.