Flood Ravages INEC Office, Damages Election Materials in Edo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reported significant damage to its office in Benin City, Edo State, due to severe flooding.

In a statement released on Saturday from Abuja, Mr. Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, detailed the extent of the damage. The flooding, caused by torrential rains on Friday, inundated a section of the INEC building, damaging voter registration machines and other critical items.

Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, confirmed that the entire state experienced substantial flooding. Preliminary assessments revealed that both movable and immovable properties, including vehicles, office furniture, and equipment, were submerged.

“Among the submerged properties were several voter enrollment machines prepped for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state,” said Olumekun. He assured that additional machines are being sourced from neighboring states to address the shortfall, emphasizing the commission’s commitment to commencing the CVR as scheduled on Monday, May 27, across all 192 wards in Edo.

Due to the flood damage, the state headquarters will no longer serve as a registration center. The registration exercise will now take place at the INEC office in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, located at 16 Customs Road, off Benin/Auchi Road, Benin City.