#NigeriaDecides2023: One killed, unconfirmed number of election duty staff abducted – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Sunday confirmed the death of one election duty staff and the abduction of others during the governorship and state houses of assembly elections held on Saturday.

INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education and Information, Festus Okoye, said while the commission attempted to improve on the overall conduct of the election, activities of actors whom he said the commission had no control over, impacted the process.

While there are reports of thugs harassing voters and journalists, the commission said, its staff –both regular and ad hoc– were also victims of violence.

“Some of our staff were abducted, harassed, intimidated, hospitalised and in one case killed,” Mr Okoye said.

He confirmed the thugs’ invasion of the commission’s Obingwa Local Government Area office in Abia State during the collation of results for Saturday’s elections.

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“In contention was the collated result from the Registration Areas for the Governorship election in that Local Government Area. The intention was to force the collation of these contentious results. The behaviour of these thugs is unacceptable and there will be a thorough review of the results,” he said.

Mr Okoye also said the commission is still collating figures to ascertain the total number of its officials abducted, harassed or intimidated.

By the time the collation of results ends, he said, the commission would have had the full picture of the abducted staff and those facing harassment and intimidation.

Some of the abducted officials have been released, he said.

“On the issue of the number of staff adopted, we are still collating figures relating to the staff of the commission that has been abducted but we know in some three states of the federation, some staff of the commission were adopted,” he said.

“Some of them have been released and some of them are still facing various degrees of threats in various states on a different issue.

“I’m sure that by tomorrow, or by the time the collation of results ends, we will have a complete picture of the number of staff adopted and the number of staff facing one form of harassment or intimidation.”