The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as unfortunate the fire outbreak that caused extensive damages to electoral materials at its Gwadabawa Local Area office in Sokoto State.
The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement shared on Friday, February 14, 2025, via its official X page revealed that the incident was reported by the Sokoto State Administrative Secretary, Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa.
The fire was reported to have completely destroyed the building, along with 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting cubicles, 186 election bags, and several Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials, including 12 large water tanks, 400 sleeping mats, and 300 plastic buckets.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a power surge may have triggered the fire, though an official probe by security and safety agencies is ongoing.
Responding, INEC has begun efforts to secure a temporary office in Gwadabawa to ensure electoral activities continue without disruption.