Gunmen set fire to the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) office in Ogidi, South Idemili Local Government Area, Anambra State, destroying non-sensitive material for the year’s general election in 2023.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement by the Commissioner and Chairman of the Commission, the Information and Voter Education Commission, Festus Okoye, in Abuja.

Okoye said Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Queen Agwu, reported that the incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday.

He said the building was significantly damaged because all furniture and other items, including non-sensitive materials that had just been delivered for the 2023 general election, were destroyed.

“Among the items lost in hell were 729 ballot boxes, 243 polling stations, 256 voting bags, 11 megaphones, a generator, and large quantities of indelible ink and bleach.”

“However, the uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) were kept in an unobstructed fireproof cabinet.”

“Similarly, no sensitive documents were forwarded to the LGA office,” he said.

He said that, despite the despicable incident, INEC wanted to reassure the people of LGA that emergency arrangements would be made to replace the documents.

Okoye assured the people that the presidential election and the National Assembly will hold on February 25 as scheduled, and two weeks later the election for the State House of Representatives will hold.

Before the elections in February and March 2023, the Radical All Progressive Congress, the APC, the legal team, and other senior lawyers from the current administration met with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa after the weekly FEC meeting, seeking advice from the vice president to ensure adequate preparation before the election.

Two current ministers, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Festus Keyamo and Mr. Babatunde Fashola, attended the meeting.

The ruling party’s current national legal adviser, Barr. Ahmed El-Marzuk, and his predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Ogala, SAN, as well as other party and government officials, were also present.

State House correspondents saw attendees at the vice president’s wing in the presidential residence, but no one spoke to the press.

However, it is understood that the discussion focused on planning and looking at the party’s preparations for the upcoming polls with the VP.

Governor Nyesom Wike says the people of Rivers State already know the candidate he wants them to vote for in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, stressing that those expecting him to make a public declaration on his choice of a candidate would wait in vain.

In Port Harcourt, for the Rivers Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally for Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Wike also accused the Commissioner of Police, CP Okon Effiong, of shying away from checking perceived infractions on election campaigns by opposition parties in the state.

Apparently reacting to the 2015 Rivers All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, who challenged him to declare his preferred presidential candidate, Governor Wike said he has never promised to make a public declaration on who to support for the president.

He said, “I never told anybody I would face cameras to announce to you this is who we will vote for.” I promised to tell the Rivers people who they should vote for. I did not state the method of telling it. I did not say I would hold live coverage to declare it.

“And Rivers residents are already aware. Are you not aware? So “mumu” people who never win in politics are expecting me to make a live declaration that we’re now going for Joseph (hypothetically).

“Far from it. But you (the Rivers people) are aware. Have we not said it? I’ve told people who don’t know. In G-5, we are fighting guerilla warfare. “The more you look, the less you see.”

On the perceived indifference of the CP Rivers Police Command to alleged infractions in campaigns by opposition parties in the state, Wike warned CP Okon that he would take over his job and unleash Neighborhood Watch, the state’s established community policing outfit, on opposition parties.

He said of the CP, “You are the one making them (the opposition parties) break the law.” We will take over your work if you don’t. We will release our neighborhood watch. You cannot support people who are breaking the law.

“You know the truth of the matter; you are scared so that they won’t transfer you.” You can be transferred anywhere, any day. So you are neither here nor there. Your fear of being transferred will not save you. Do your work. Nobody should threaten you. Tell them not to push us against the wall.”