Governor Uzodimma Denounce Attacks on INEC

The attacks on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in Imo State have been denounced by Governor Hope Uzodimma, who called them “politically motivated.”

Following a South-East state attack on the INEC headquarters that left five people dead, the governor remarked on Monday at the Imo Police Command Headquarters in Owerri.

“If we collaborate this with the events of the past, we have continuously said that what is happening in Imo State is politically contrived,” he said while addressing the press after the visit.

“Some people think that they can win the election yet they don’t want the election. How would they now win?”

Governor Uzodimma characterized the attacks as a diversion for the electoral body with less than three months till the general election.

Three of the attackers were killed while two police officers died in the incident.

“The attack affected the part of the building occupied by the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) Department and one official utility vehicle (a Toyota Hilux pickup van) were burnt,” INEC’s National Commissioner Festus Okoye said in a statement hours after the incident.

“The response of the security and emergency services (the Fire Service) curtailed further damage to the building and other assets of the Commission. No critical election materials were destroyed. There were also no casualties involving staff of the Commission.

“This is the third attack on the Commission’s facilities in Imo State in less than two weeks following the earlier attacks on our Orlu LGA office on Thursday 1st December 2022 and Oru West LGA office on Sunday 4th December 2022.”

The event, which occurred as voters started collecting Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in preparation for the general election in 2023, was systematic, according to INEC.