INEC fire incident at its Udenu Local Government Area (LGA) office, Enugu
By Bernard Joseph
The renewed attacks are coming barely less than three months before the 2023 general elections.
The Arsonists have resuscitated their attacks in the South-East and South-South zones including the destruction of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and election-related materials. This vicious state of insecurity should be addressed to guarantee hitch-free polling in 2023.
Despite assurances by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, that security around the commission’s facilities has been strengthened after arsonists bombed INEC offices in Ogun and Osun states in the South-West, the attacks have also continued in South-East part of the country, as the terrorists appear to be more aggressive and committed to their nefarious activities.
The fresh attacks could be attributed to the failure of the government and the security agencies to curb violence in different parts of the country. INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, warned last year that the attacks “are no longer freak events but appear to be quite orchestrated and targeted at INEC.” He added that the violence on the commission’s property was “targeted at demobilizing and dismantling critical electoral infrastructure in the country” and to undermine INEC’s capacity to organize elections.
On Friday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Mahmud Yakubu held an emergency meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). This followed cases of arson at the INEC offices in Ogun and Osun States which led to the loss of 904 election boxes and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). With the critical infrastructure of the commission increasingly being targeted, recent attacks appear like a systematic assault meant to cripple INEC operations ahead of the 2023 general election.
A burnt INEC office
The recent attacks in Imo and Ebonyi States, therefore, signify that violence might be spread to other parts of the country if drastic action is not taken.
Those behind these acts can only be agents of anarchy and disorder who should be fished out and treated as traitors and enemies of the state. The authorities must do everything to contain this descent into anarchy.
It is noteworthy that fire incidents, ranging from arson to vandalism, are ordinarily not new to Nigeria. But these orchestrated attacks on INEC facilities present a different type of danger. Already, there are growing concerns about the impact of the damage on the capability of the electoral body to conduct elections under the current atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the damage being wreaked on the assets of electoral body infrastructure will impact negatively its preparations for elections and that seems to be the objective of those behind the attacks. It is therefore imperative that the commission move swiftly to apprehend the perpetrators, prosecute them as required by law and reinforce security around election officials and electoral infrastructure around the country.
In the past, INEC estimated that each card reader cost N167,063 while each memory card cost N6,000. Today, the cost will be much higher, given the depreciation of the Naira against foreign currencies. So, these attacks cannot be allowed to continue.
Finally, the onus is now on the authorities to put in place measures that will forestall disruptions to upcoming electoral activities and safeguard the lives of innocent citizens. The implication of the targeted attacks is clear: If the federal government cannot protect strategic institutions like INEC, we may gradually be on our way to anarchy. While a combined technique of intelligence, law enforcement and special operations may help in containing the menace, it is also in the enlightened interest of our politicians to curb the attacks that could, if care is not taken, torpedo our democracy.
Bernard Joseph writes for Eko Hot Blog. This media platform reserves all rights to this article.
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