THE chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, has said that the commission will recover from attacks on its infrastructure and hold the elections in 2023.
,Yakubu however cautioned that the attacks must stop. He stated this today while making a submission before the House Ad-hoc committee looking into the attacks on the Commission’s facilities.
He noted that since 2019, the commission had observed 50 incidents across 15 states.
Adding that eight attacks occurred in 2019, 22 in 2020, 12 in 2021, and eight were reported in 2022.
The INEC chairman reported that Imo State had the most incidents, with 11, followed by Osun with 7, Enugu and Akwa Ibom with 5, and Cross Rivers and Abia with 4 each.
He added that there were two incidents in the states of Anambra and Taraba and one each in the states of Bayelsa, Ondo, Lagos, Borno, Kaduna, and Ogun.
Yakubu said to the committee that, despite the fact that the commission is working to replace any items lost or destroyed as a result of the attacks, it cannot be doing that forever to conduct elections.
He added that while INEC is working on using technology and coordinating with security authorities to do everything possible to stop the attacks on its facilities, it is also taking precautions, including as relocating some of the offices out from vulnerable areas.
He added that despite the apparent threat to the 2023 elections and the recent wave of criminal attacks on its infrastructure the commission is sure that these attacks would not prevent the conduct of the elections.
The probe according to the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was represented by Leke Abejide. was sparked by a resolution placed before the House on the “Need To Condemn The Attacks On Offices and Facilities OF The Independent National Electoral Commission,”
He said, “The House had noted the frequent systemic attacks on personnel, offices and facilities of INEC, which are presumably, targeted at crippling the commission and scuttling the 2023 general elections”.
In her welcome address, chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Taiwo Oluga, said “It is on record that, since 2019, over 40 INEC offices and facilities have been attacked and set ablaze.
“These attacks have resulted in the destruction of INEC properties, elections materials and most importantly, thousands of Permanent Voter Cards.
“These systematically orchestrated attacks have the potential to not only undermine the capacity of INEC to organise elections, but could also have a negative impact on the outcome of the 2023 elections.”
