Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday said its office in the Plateau State has been burnt down.
The incident is happening just days ahead of the country’s crucial general elections.
Officials of INEC told local media everything needed for the voting process on Saturday including ballot boxes and voting slips had been destroyed in the fire.
The news portal This Day Live said the Head of Media, Publicity and Voters Education of INEC, Mr Osaretin Imahiyereobo confirmed that the incident happened on Saturday night.
Election officials are now worried this incident will affect preparations for next weekend’s election in the area.
Imahiyereobo said “A drunken security man was said to have caused the fire outbreak. The office is completely burnt with all its contents — ballot boxes, generator sets — that have been serviced and filled with fuel, cubicles, newly printed electronic and manual voters register, uncollected permanent voter cards (PVCs), materials for the preparations of RAC and other materials yet to be identified.”
The presidential and national assembly elections will be held on February 16.
But regional and local elections to elect new governors and local assembly members will be on March 2.
Leading candidates for the presidential election are incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari and Opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
President Buhari has contested for president in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but only became successful and 2015.
Atiku Abubakar is former Nigerian vice president and one time ally of President Buhari.
Source: Africafeeds.com
