Our Correspondent
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun has informed that a fire outbreak has ravaged INEC office in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, destroying crucial electoral materials.
Items destroyed include Furniture and fixtures as well as movable electoral facilities, among them 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures (cubicles), 186 election bags and various Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials such as 12 large water tanks (1,000 litres), 400 sleeping mats and 300 plastic buckets.
In a press statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja disclosed that at its regular weekly meeting held on Thursday 13th February 2025, the Commission took note of a sad incident of fire outbreak in our Gwadabawa Local Government Area office in Sokoto State as reported by the Administrative Secretary in charge of the State office, Mrs. Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa.
He said the fire started in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 11th February 2025 as the entire building was damaged.
According to him, the cause of the fire is still being investigated by security and safety agencies, although preliminary reports suggest a sudden surge in public power supply may have triggered the incident.
Olumekun explained that the preliminary report from the State office indicates that there was a sudden surge from the public power supply before the incident.
He maintained that the actual cause of the fire outbreak is being investigated by the security and safety agencies which have deployed their personnel to the facility.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident, No injuries or fatalities were recorded.
“The Commission is making an effort to find an alternative temporary facility in the Local Government Area so that our activities are not completely disrupted,” he said.
