The electoral institute of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was gutted by yesterday just as it declared ruled out political mischief.
The warehouse in electoral institute was hit by the fire outbreak which started at 11pm on Saturday night was extinguished at 2am Sunday morning.
The director of security of INEC, Shettima Ngilladar, who showed newsmen around the affected area, said the fire was used by power surge which caused the electrical panel to go up in flames.
While he explained that no electoral materials for the 2015 elections was in the warehouse as they have been deployed to the state, he ruled out political mischief as cause of the fire.
He said the materials affected were old stock used in 2011 noting that security agencies are already investigating the matter.
The INEC security chief said “these are non-sensitive materials that have been banned in the warehouse. You will see it yourself it is not hidden. It something clear, this banned non sensitive materials have nothing to do with the elections.
“They are old materials in store that has not been evacuated. These are old stock of non sensitive materials, like bags, envelopes, election forms which were used in 2011 elections. They won’t be used for 2015 elections. Everything here is non sensitive. Police on ground and security investigation is on.”
As to the financial loss arising from the outbreak he said “I cannot quantify now because they are envelopes and bags. And old used forms for elections. So it is not something I can say how much.”
Ruling out political sabotage, he said “whether it is too long or too early there is no political motive about it. It is an electric action.”
Corroborating, the deputy director of electoral logistics at INEC, Ken Ukeagu, said “ all sensitive materials required for 2015 elections have been moved to the states. Whatever we ave here are old stock of the material. You know the normal process of disposing materials take alottle while. But these materials here are not useful for 2015 elections. All the useful sensitive materials have been moved to the states. Even if these were materials that would have been used there is no way it would affect the elections.
All materials required for the election has been moved to the state, there is no way anything happening here will affect the elections.”
Col. Mohammed Hammanga INEC National Commissioner in charge of electoral logistics who was at the institute to inspect the damage expressed happiness that materials affected were old stock.
“We that God it has not gone beyond this. We are happy that it has not destroyed the materials that will be used in the election”.
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