By Onoja Baba, Nigeria
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed a fire outbreak that destroyed its Gwadabawa Local Government Area office in Sokoto State.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, was reported to the commission by Mrs. Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa, the Administrative Secretary in charge of the INEC State Office.
According to a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, the fire completely damaged the building and destroyed key electoral materials.
Among the items lost were 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures (cubicles), 186 election bags, and several Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials, including 12 large water tanks (1,000 litres each), 400 sleeping mats, and 300 plastic buckets.
Preliminary reports from the INEC Sokoto office suggest that a sudden power surge from the public electricity supply may have triggered the fire.
However, the actual cause is still under investigation by security and safety agencies, which have already deployed personnel to the scene.
INEC confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were recorded in the incident.
The commission has begun efforts to secure an alternative temporary facility in Gwadabawa to ensure that electoral activities are not disrupted ahead of upcoming exercises.
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