By Okodili Ndidi Abuja
The National Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC), Leonard Ezenwa, has blamed the spreading attacks on the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other public infrastructure on the neglect of credible intelligence on the planned attacks by the Commission and the security agencies.
The revelation by the AAC Chairman was coming on the heels of renewed attacks on INEC offices.
Statistics of the fire incidents showed that the most affected states include Akwa Ibom (four), Abia (three) Anambra (two), Imo (two) and Enugu (two)
Other states that witnessed fire incidents between February 2019 and May 2021 are Borno, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kano, Ondo, Plateau and Rivers. Abuja was also affected.
On Sunday night, the Enugu State Headquarters of the Commission was attacked by hoodlums who overpowered the security personnel on duty.
According to a statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye, “last night Sunday 16th May 2021, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Emeka Ononamadu, reported an attack on the State Headquarters office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu.
“Some unidentified persons overpowered the security personnel on duty around 9.00pm and tried to set the entire building ablaze. The attention of the security agencies as well as the Federal and State Fire Services in Enugu was drawn to the unfolding situation and they responded swiftly.
“The attackers set the foyer ablaze, vandalised some offices in the main building and caused extensive damage to some of the Commission’s movable assets within the premises.
“Six (6) utility pick up vehicles (Toyota Hilux) were burnt down while two (2) more were smashed and damaged. The security agencies who were at the scene have commenced an investigation.
“As we categorically mentioned in our earlier statements, the spate of attacks on the Commission’s facilities portends danger to national electoral activities.
“The Commission is holding an emergency meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on Wednesday 19th May 2021 and a further statement will be released ahead of another emergency meeting with heads of all the security agencies in the country under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES)”.
Meanwhile, the AAC Chairman has noted that if INEC and the Police had heeded the report by the party, that some persons have concluded plans to burn down INEC offices nationwide, the attacks would have been averted.
It will be recalled that the AAC had convened a press conference on March 10 in Abuja to warn about ongoing mobilisation to burn down INEC bad attack other public institutions.
A text of the speech by the AAC Chairman at the March 10 press conference read partly, “it has become necessary to address you on crucial African Action Congress (AAC) and national issues as we renew our resolve to build a strong, virile, united, stable, progressive and egalitarian democratic nation in the face of increasing security challenges aimed at destabilizing the polity.
“Our attention has been drawn to ongoing mobilization to hide under the name of our great party to wreak havoc on and burn down INEC offices nationwide, attack other public infrastructure and cause mayhem across the nation.
“Only last week, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC that I lead bemoaned the state of insecurity in the country wherein we called on Mr. President to declare a State of Emergency on National Security even as we condemned in strong terms actions of some State and Non-State Actors in fanning embers of disunity through their speeches and actions.
“Same last week some group of people led by one Omoyele Stephen Sowore, a former member of our great Party, who was not only suspended and removed as National Chairman of the party but also expelled over various proven allegations of financial recklessness and misappropriation of party funds, abuse of party constitution, high-handedness etc started displaying and carrying out dangerously criminal actions, under the name of our great party thereby committing various crimes thereof.
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“On the 3rd March, 2021 Mr. Sowore again mobilized a gang of fiery looking hireling to the INEC head office in Maitama Abuja and a visibly angry Sowore declared to his gang that if by the 15th of March, 2021 and INEC does not restore him as the National Chairman of our great Party, he would mobilize members of gang to shut down INEC offices nationwide.
“Knowing that Mr. Sowore is expelled from the Party and that the people he went with to INEC offices are not members of the Party, our members who were approached have informed us that the ultimate target of Mr. Sowore was to burn some INEC offices from the 15th of March, 2021 and blame same on the rejection of the electoral body so that he can propagate his Revolution Now campaign. He believes he has radicalized his members enough to launch this attack hence his declaration at the INEC office that his gang were not afraid of arrest or being jailed.
“This is clearly a threat to national security. The mentioning of INEC offices is just a subterfuge to attack any and every public infrastructure and property within sight in his identified locations. African Action Congress, AAC has nothing to do with this”.
Also on March 15, the AAC held another press conference to forewarn the planned attack on INEC facilities.
On the occasion, Ezenwa, said, “last week, Wednesday, March 10, 2021, we alerted the nation of ongoing mobilization to hide under the name of our great party to wreak havoc on and burn down INEC offices nationwide including an extended plot to attack other public infrastructure and cause mayhem across the nation by one Omoyele Stephen Sowore and some misdirected youths and miscreants from today, Monday, March 15, 2021, and onward.
“Over the weekend this mobilization directed at destroying public institutions including INEC Offices continued with greater intensity as some genuine members of our great party were approached to partake in the plot with money being offered to them which they turned down.
“Clearly, it is established that the self-acclaimed Revolution Now gone awry outlaw in hiding and seek gambit is prodding some ill-informed youths to take a plunge in a mission that will ultimately derail their future whilst he tucks his tail in-between his legs in a hide-out while it lasts.
“Again, the leadership of the party has been inundated with calls from the intelligence community and various security outfits forbidding genuine members of the party to steer clear even as it was confirmed indeed that Omoyele Sowore with his co-travels have perfected plans to carry out the plot today and onward.
“African Action Congress, AAC as a legal, responsible and law-abiding political party in Nigeria, do not have anything to do with Omoyele Sowore as he is UNKNOWN to the Party as he and 29 others were expelled on August 9, 2019, after he was suspended.
“We have intercepted various posters, flyers and other promotional items produced by this expelled member wherein he used our great party as a plank to embark on this mission of discrediting the party, blackmailing some prominent Nigerians, and to wreak havoc on and burn down INEC offices nationwide including plot to attack other public infrastructure and cause mayhem across the nation..”
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