Fire Razes INEC Office Ahead of Kogi Supplementary Guber Elections (Photo)

The Independent National Electoral Commission office in Kogi state was set ablaze by unknown arsonists ahead of the much anticipated guber polls on Saturday, December 5

Ahead of tomorrow’s supplementary guber elections in some polling units in Kogi State, unknown arsonists have set ablaze the Dekina Local Government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commiss (INEC).

Security operatives are currently looking for culprits involved in the arson and clues as to why the office was razed.

According to Vanguard, many people believe it was aimed at frustrating the supplementary election slated for tomorrow, others said it may have been as a result of indiscriminate bush burning by some youths on hunting expedition.

According to eyewitnesses, some thugs invaded the office at about 5:00am and set it on fire in anger in the early hours of Friday. One of the eyewitnesses said: "The thugs came in a bus, shot sporadically and razed down the office."

In a statewide broadcast, the governor asked the people of the state to refrain from taking laws in their hands, saying law enforcement agents will not hesitate to deal with trouble perpetrators.

"You will recall that shortly before the polls, I made a broadcast in which I encouraged all our people to perform their civic responsibilities and vote the candidate of their choice. I urged you all to be of peaceful conduct during and after the Governorship elections.

As fate will have it, on the night of Sunday, November 22nd, I had to make another broadcast on the very sad and sudden demise of a former Governor of our state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu. May his Soul rest in Peace.

Understandably, the unfortunate event of his loss and the declaration of the governorship election as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has thrown our state into deep uncertainties and apprehensions.

To enable it complete the process, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ordered for a supplementary poll in 91 polling units across 18 Local Government Areas of the state. The events of the last one week have therefore combined to put our state on the edge. Indeed, these are trying times for democracy in our state and country," the statement read in part.