The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reported extensive damage to its Edo office in Benin due to severe flooding.
Voter registration machines and other crucial items were submerged. Mr. Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, detailed the damage in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, confirmed that torrential rainfall on Friday led to widespread flooding in the state.
Preliminary assessments indicated significant damage to a section of the building, affecting both movable and immovable property, including vehicles, office furniture, and equipment.
“Several voter enrollment machines already configured for the upcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) were affected,”
Olumekun stated.
To address the shortfall, additional machines are being dispatched from neighboring states. Despite the setback, Olumekun assured that the CVR would commence as scheduled on Monday, May 27, in all 192 wards across Edo.
Due to the emergency, the state headquarters will not serve as a registration center as initially planned. Instead, the registration exercise will take place at the INEC office in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, located at 16 Customs Road, off Benin/Auchi Road, Benin City.
INEC has alerted security agencies and emergency services to the incident, ensuring necessary measures are taken to manage the situation.
