Fire guts INEC office in Ondo, over 5000 card readers destroyed

• Gov Akeredolu visits, pledges to support INEC

 The Ondo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) was thrown into confusion on Thursday night as fire gutted the premises of the commission situated in Alagbaka area of Akure, the state capital.

The fire outbreak reportedly started around 8:45pm at the ICT unit and over 5000 card readers have been destroyed in the inferno.

However, the cause of the outbreak is yet to be ascertained.

Governorship election in the state had been scheduled for 10th October 2020.

Meanwhile, the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, on Friday, paid a visit to the scene of the fire incident that occurred on the premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akure the state capital, promising to render assistance.

The fire incident, which occurred at the computer section of the office of the commission on Thursday evening, destroyed some electoral materials, particularly the card reader machines procured for the forthcoming election.

Akeredolu described the fire incident as sad and unfortunate, especially when the governorship election in the state was around the corner.

He expressed shock at the level of the damage the fire had caused, promising to assist the commission without being political about it.

Akeredolu said, “Like you promised us that by the grace of God the election will still be held on that day, that is soothingly, but it will be a great cost to INEC because for you to replace all those card readers it would be at great cost.

“We sympathise with you and we want INEC to know that the people of this state are really concerned and are with you at this point in time in this calamitous situation.

“We are with you and whatever you think we can do that will not be termed as being partisan, because whatever we do now could be misinterpreted since we are in the election period, but no doubt we have to come as government and not as contestants. I can see the determination in you from how you spoke that the election will still hold on the 10th of October. We are so sorry about this.”