By Gabriel Ameh, The Sight News
The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State was engulfed by fire in the early hours of Tuesday, February 11, 2025, destroying the entire building and its contents.
In a statement released Friday, February 14, 2025, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Sam Olumekun mni, confirmed that the fire was reported to the Commission during its regular weekly meeting on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
He explained that the report came from Mrs. Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa, the Administrative Secretary in charge of the State office.
He said some of the items lost in the fire were 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures (cubicles), 186 election bags, and various Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials. These RAC materials include 12 large 1,000-litre water tanks, 400 sleeping mats, and 300 plastic buckets. The fire also consumed furniture and fixtures within the office.
The IVEC Chairman disclosed that a preliminary report from the INEC State office suggests a sudden surge in public power supply may have triggered the fire. However, the exact cause is currently under investigation by security and safety agencies, who have deployed personnel to the scene.
“Thankfully, no injuries or fatalities were recorded in the incident”, he noted.
Mr. Olumekun assured that the Commission is actively seeking a temporary alternative facility within the Gwadabawa Local Government Area to minimize disruption to its ongoing activities.
