2023: Elections in the South-East are under threat as assaults on INEC infrastructures rise

Ahead of the 2023 general elections next year, there are rising concerns that the polls, particularly in the country’s south-east, may be jeopardised.

This is especially true since the incidence of attacks on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, offices, and infrastructure has increased as the general elections approach.

According to PulseNets, four people were slain in a Monday attack on the INEC headquarters in Owerri, Imo State, including a police officer.

The incident came only a week after unknown gunmen stormed another INEC office in the same state, this time in the Oru West Local Government Area.

The commission’s offices around the country have been bombed an unprecedented eight times in the previous four months.

Although the commission’s offices have been attacked across the nation, it is clear that the INEC has turned into a top target of assaults in the South-eastern States, raising concerns about the upcoming general elections in the region.

A substantial portion of the attacks on INEC installations in the South-east have been blamed on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

However, IPOB has always denied being a part of the assaults.

Enugu
Enugu State had a rise in attacks against INEC offices in 2021.

Recall that on May 13 and May 23, respectively, unidentified gunmen/hoodlums stormed and vandalised the INEC offices in Udenu and Igboeze South LGAs.

Once more, unidentified individuals set fire to the INEC office in the State’s Awgu Local Government Area in September 2021.

The commission’s office was recently demolished in July 2022 in the State’s Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area by some suspected arsonists.

Ebonyi
Around May of last year, two INEC offices in Ebonyi State were set on fire by armed robbers. The offices were situated in the State’s local government regions of Izzi and Ezza North, respectively.

The INEC office in the Ebonyi LGA office of the State was also destroyed by unidentified attackers within the same month.

In November 2022, there was another assault on the commission’s office in the State’s Izzi Local Government Area.

Imo
Attacks against INEC offices throughout the nation have mostly occurred in Imo State.

The Commission’s state office in Owerri was attacked again on Monday, making it three times in the previous 12 days.

The incident was attributed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma to unpopular politicians who are worried about losing elections.

Following prior attacks on INEC offices in the Orlu and Oru West LGA offices on December 1 and 4, 2022, respectively, the event occurred.

Recall that an INEC facility was also burned down in the State in May 2021. The assault on its Ahiazu Mbaise LGA office that same month is not included.

But Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, lamented that the electoral body had lost so many of its facilities at a meeting with stakeholders in Lagos last week. He was troubled by the ongoing attacks on its offices and facilities across the nation, which could harm the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

“In the last four months, five of our offices were attacked, buildings damaged, and materials were destroyed across the country.

“It is worrisome for us because we lost over 1990 ballot boxes, 399 voting cubicles, 24 generators, and quite a number of PVCs (65,699 in one incident), among many other items.

“These attacks must stop and the perpetrators prosecuted. Our responsibility is to conduct elections, and I want to assure Nigerians that we will recover from these attacks and that the lost materials will be replaced.

“We will continue to work with security agencies, traditional and community leaders, and well-meaning Nigerians to stop the attacks. But the ultimate solution is to arrest and prosecute the culprits,” he said.

A leader of the Labour Party, LP, in Enugu State, Hon. Malachy Okey Onyechi, discussed the matter with PulseNets and bemoaned the ugly trend, saying it posed a serious threat to the country’s democracy.

In the next general election, Hon. Onyechi, who is also the party’s State House of Assembly candidate for the Nsukka West Constituency, advised the security agencies to increase protection around INEC offices and facilities, particularly in the Southeast region.

He said, “To me, it poses a lot of danger. It is an indication that some politicians are desperate to thwart our democracy and make sure that they win by all means. They are the people behind all these devilish acts.

“The recent one that happened in Imo State, you heard the governor of the State, Hope Uzodimma, telling us that politicians are behind the hoodlums vandalising INEC offices.

“I believe some of the politicians who want to thwart the process of democracy are the ones behind it, and it will definitely affect the INEC’s and federal government’s plan to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.

“But what we are just saying is that – we are urging the security agencies to beef up security around INEC offices and facilities.

“I give kudos to the security agencies for apprehending those involved in the perpetration of the ungodly act at the Imo state INEC office. They were able to track down the perpetrators.

“If other security agencies in different States could rise up to the challenge, I believe the dangers being posed by these hoodlums will be averted early enough, and we will have a smooth and free election.”