Despite the burning of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Akwa Ibom State, election will take place in the state as planned.
Very early Friday morning, the office located at lbesikpo Asutan Local Government, Area of Akwa lbom State, was burnt with some election materials destroyed.
But in a statement issued on Friday by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, IVEC, Mr Festus Okoye, the election would not be affected.
He said although some materials were destroyed, they had been replaced.
Hs words: “Fortunately, the ballot papers and result sheets for the elections were not affected and are intact.
“Acting on time, the Commission has been able to replace and reconfigure all the destroyed Smart Card Readers and reprinted the Register of Voters.
“With the replacement and the salvage of other items, we are pleased to announce that the election will proceed as scheduled.”
All registered voters in the Local Government Area, he said, should turn up to cast their votes between 8 a.m and 2 p.m. on Saturday.
He said the commission was liaising closely with security agencies to investigate and ascertain the cause of the fire.
“If found to be a deliberate act, we will ensure diligent and vigorous prosecution of those responsible,” he said.
He also announced that INEC had postponed the Nassarawo Binyeri State Constituency of Mayo Belwa local government areas, in the Adamawa State House of Assembly to March 23.
The decision, he explained resulted from the death of one of the candidates, Adamu Kwanate.
“Furthermore, the Commission has been informed of the death of Hon. Adamu Kwanate, who until his death was the member representing Nassarawo Binyeri State Constituency (Mayo Belwa LGA) in the Adamawa State House of Assembly.
“He was also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the same Constituency in the election scheduled for Saturday March 9.
“Consequently, INEC is compelled to reschedule the Nassarawo Binyeri State Constituency election for tomorrow and the same has been rescheduled to Saturday March 23, in line with Section 36(1) of the Electoral Act (2010) as amended,” he said.
The governorship election in the constituency and all other state constituency elections will, according to the commission, however, proceed as scheduled.
