Juliet Buna
The Independent National Electoral Commission has moved the documents and materials used for the November 11 Kogi State governorship election from its office in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, to Abuja.
According to Daily Trust, the National Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, was said to have ordered the removal of the election materials for security reasons.
The electoral materials were loaded in no fewer than four trucks on Friday afternoon under heavy security, as they departed for the Federal Capital Territory.
The materials moved to Abuja include election results, BVAS and other relevant sensitive documents used in the election.
An INEC official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the order was from above and that it was to ease the smooth operation of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The source stated, “The materials used in prosecuting the November 11 governorship election are no longer safe here (in Kogi) because of incessant attacks on INEC officials, offices and tribunal members by thugs sponsored by unknown politicians. Therefore, the commission ordered the removal of the materials to a safe place.”
