Violence Threatens Peaceful Conducts of Guber Polls as Hoodlums Burn INEC Materials In States
There appears to be a cloud terror surrounding today’s governorship and state houses of assembly elections in about 29 states as there are reports of violence and burning of electoral materials even before the first ballot is cast in some parts of Ebonyi and Benue States.
In Benue, all electoral materials for Mbalom ward in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue were in the early hours of Saturday burnt by armed hoodlums- suspected to be political thugs. Eye witness accounts have it that the unidentified men had arrived the venue (RCM Primary School Aya) and fired shots in the air before setting on fire- the entire materials for that were designated for use in today’s polls.
Also in Ebonyi, electoral materials were set on fire in the INEC office at Ezza Local government area of the state. The attack happened at around 2 am in the morning. The fire which lasted for hours burnt down sensitive and non-sensitive materials that were billed for distribution to the polling units in the area.
Still in Ebonyi, suspected vandals burnt down INEC materials at Community Secondary School Okposi. Voters who had trooped to the school to exercise their fanchise- unaware of what had happened were seen talking in pairs, unsure of what to do next.