The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kogi State has confirmed that its state headquarters in Lokoja was besieged by a mob on Wednesday morning.
In a statement signed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Hale Longpet, the commission said the siege prevented attorneys representing political parties involved in the recent off-cycle governorship election from inspecting documents/materials used in the election.
Longpet explained that the mob barricaded all entrances to the INEC office and prevented access to staff to carry out routine duties.
“It took the intervention of the Nigerian Army to calm the situation down at the State Headquarters. The security agencies have assured us that they will maintain normalcy on our premises.
“We assure all parties and litigants that the Kogi State office is committed to granting unimpeded access to all materials needed to prosecute their petitions,” he said.
Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja had, on Saturday, granted counsels to Murtala Ajaka, the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), the leave of the Court compelling INEC to allow access to materials and all documents used in the conduct of November 11 gubernatorial election in the state.
The Presiding Tribunal Judge, Justice Yusuf Ado Birnin-Kudu, compelled INEC to also grant access to Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electronic materials used within 48 hours.
