Ondo: Fire incident won’t affect election date- INEC
The Ondo State Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission has affirmed that the recent fire incident involving one of its offices will not alter the timetable of the upcoming October 10 gubernatorial election, as originally slated.
The fire incident is said to have gutted the computer section of the office of the commission on Thursday evening, destroying some electoral materials, particularly the card reader machines procured for the forthcoming election.
Speaking to journalists on Friday in Akure, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, the electoral commissioner in the state said the timetable of the election remains unchanged despite the fire incident.
He said the cause of the fire incident remains unclear, and that an investigation has been launched to press to the discovery of what led to the ugly incident.
READ ALSO: Fire guts Ondo INEC office, destroys smart card readers
He said, “Up till now, the actual cause of the fire is unknown but relevant security agencies have commenced investigation and you will be further briefed as events unfold.
“Let me use this medium to allay the fears of the electorate, political parties and our stakeholders and the people of Ondo State that the fire incident will not affect the conduct of the forthcoming election in any form neither will it lead to the postponement of the election.
“Necessary arrangements have been put in place for the replacement of the damaged materials. Let me reiterate that our determination to conduct a free, fair, credible, and successful election remains undaunted. We shall not rest on our oars as an Election Management Body to always pursue the vision and mission of being an EMB that meets the aspirations of the Nigerian people.”
