The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to the fire outbreak at a section of the building housing the Election and Party Monitoring Department alongside the Media Centre.
In a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA on Friday by its Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, the commission said the building is an annex detached from the main building of its headquarters.
According to Okoye, only some furniture and equipment were destroyed in the inferno, adding that the incident will not affect the operations of the commission.
The INEC commissioner noted that nothing sensitive was destroyed in the fire. He added that reports of party primaries, conventions, and campaign finance database were not affected
He, however, said the commission will launch an investigation into the cause of the fire outbreak.
“At 11.30am today, 17. April 2020, a fire outbreak occurred at a section of the building housing the Election and Party Monitoring Department and the Media Centre,” he said.
“The building is an annex, detached from the main building of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s headquarters.
“Fire fighters attached to the Commission swiftly responded to contain the inferno and they were later joined by their colleagues from the Federal Fire Service headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The fire was extinguished within a short period of time and did not cause any substantial damage to the building.
“Apart from some office furniture and equipment, nothing sensitive was destroyed. Reports of party primaries and conventions are intact. The campaign finance database is also not affected.
“The incident will therefore not affect the administrative or technical operations of the Commission in any way.”
