February 14, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission office in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State has been razed by fire, destroying critical electoral materials.
Confirming the incident during a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Sokoto, Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa, said the fire broke out on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
In a statement issued on Friday, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, said the inferno consumed the entire building, furniture, and essential election materials.
“Items destroyed include 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting cubicles, 186 election bags, and several materials meant for Registration Area Centres, including 12 large water tanks (1,000 litres), 400 sleeping mats, and 300 plastic buckets,” he stated.
Although the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, Olumekun disclosed that preliminary investigations suggested a sudden power surge before the outbreak.
He assured that efforts were underway to secure a temporary facility in the local government area to prevent disruptions to INEC’s operations.
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