Rivers gov directs immediate rebuilding of burnt INEC office

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has directed the immediate rebuilding of the burnt office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bori, Khana Local Government Area.

This was as he said there was no need to postpone the conclusion of the legislative rerun election scheduled to take place in about eight local government areas in the state on Sunday.

The INEC office in Bori was set on fire by unknown persons in the early hours of Friday, even as the state police command said it had commenced investigation into the arson.

Governor Wike, who inspected the burnt office, on Saturday, said those who committed the act were only afraid of the conclusion of the legislative rerun elections.

He insisted that those who perpetrated the act were the same politicians who wrote to INEC seeking postponement of the rerun elections on the ground of security.

He, however, expressed happiness that no election materials had been deposited  at the office, pointing out that the burnt section only served as a hall for collation.

“What they have done is to scare INEC. For us, we are not surprised. We know this is what they had planned to do,” the governor said.

Earlier,  the Khana Divisional Police Officer, Stephen Okunade, said there was no security official at the INEC office at the time of  the arson, adding that the lone private security guard on duty was absent when the perpetrators struck.