The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has confirmed an attack on its head office in Owerri, Imo State.
INEC’s Chairman of the Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the incident occurred at about 3 am on Monday.
Citing a formal report by the Imo state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Uchenna, Okoye confirmed the attackers burnt the building housing the Election and Party Monitoring Department.
Okoye, however, pointed out that no critical election material or life was lost.
He believes the attack is a part of a coordinated attempt to derail the 2023 elections.
“Our Imo State headquarters is located in the center of Owerri, the State capital, between a court and the State secretariat,” he wrote in a statement.
“This is therefore yet another systematic attack targeted at the Commission's assets across the country, more so on the day that the collection of Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) commences nationwide ahead of the 2023 General Election.”
Monday’s attack is the third on INEC’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks.
The Orlu Local Government Area office was attacked on December 1 and the Oru West Local Government Area office on December 4.
The commission’s offices have similarly been attacked in Ebonyi, Osun, and Ogun States in the last four weeks.
