A few hours before the local government elections were scheduled to commence, suspected thugs set fire to the office of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) in Ibiatuk, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
ASP Timfon John, the public relations officer for the Akwa Ibom Police, acknowledged the incident and stated that no lives were lost and that no election materials were damaged.
“Voters were exercising their franchise as of press time,” John said, assuring that the incident had no impact on the voting process.
To stop any disturbances, she said, the Police Command has sent out extra agents to AKISIEC offices around the state.
However, several issues plagued the election, such as materials arriving late and security personnel not showing up at voting places.
Afripost.ng gathered that election materials, AKISIEC representatives, and security personnel were not present in Unit 001, Ward 14 in the Uyo Local Government Area as of 10:02 a.m.
Similar circumstances included the absence of voting materials and security personnel at Unit 2, Ward 11 in the Itu Local Government Area.
Despite the difficulties, efforts to safeguard polling places and guarantee voter safety continued throughout the local government election.
