INEC Kogi Office Set On Fire

Security operatives are looking for clues to why the office was razed and the people responsible for the arson.

While many people believe it was aimed at frustrating the supplementary election slated for tomorrow, others said it may have been as a result of indiscriminate bush burning by some youths on hunting expedition.

Ahead of tomorrow’s supplementary poll in some polling units in Kogi State, unknown arsonists have torched the Dekina Local Government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It would be recalled that protests rocked the the Eastern part of the state over the death of Prince Abubakar Audu and the decision of the of the leading party in the election, APC to replace the late Audu with Alhaji Yahaya Bello from Kogi Central.

Meanwhile, the governor of the state, Capt. Idris Ichala Wada has called on the citizens of the state to ensure maintenance of law and order, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is poised to deliver judgement on the Kogi political impasse today.

In a statewide broadcast to the people of the state, the governor asked the people of the state to refrain from taking laws in their hands, saying law enforcement agents will not hesitate to deal with trouble perpetrators.

“You will recall that shortly before the polls, I made a broadcast in which I encouraged all our people to perform their civic responsibilities and vote the candidate of their choice. I urged you all to be of peaceful conduct during and after the Governorship elections.

“As fate will have it, on the night of Sunday, November 22nd, I had to make another broadcast on the very sad and sudden demise of a former Governor of our state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu. May his Soul rest in Peace.

“Understandably, the unfortunate event of his loss and the declaration of the governorship election as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has thrown our state into deep uncertainties and apprehensions.

” To enable it complete the process, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ordered for a supplementary poll in 91 polling units across 18 Local Government Areas of the state. The events of the last one week have therefore combined to put our state on the edge. Indeed, these are trying times for democracy in our state and country.