Tension has engulfed Kaduna as armed men allegedly posing as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police stormed a hotel late Friday, where Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad-hoc staff had stored sensitive materials ahead of today’s by-election.
Eyewitnesses reported that the men forcefully seized an official INEC van containing ballot papers and funds meant for distribution to party agents, driving it to an undisclosed location.
A woman who raised alarm in a viral video accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring the attack, alleging that the operatives were desperate to manipulate the polls. “They forcefully towed the vehicle, saying it contained valuables. Only God knows what they have gone to do with the materials inside, including the funds for our agents. This is the height of desperation,” she said.
The van was later returned under unclear circumstances, fueling fears that the contents might have been tampered with. “They brought back the vehicle, but who knows what they have planted in it? Maybe to accuse us of manipulation, maybe to compromise the materials,” the woman added.
Meanwhile, INEC confirmed that all arrangements had been concluded for Saturday’s bye-elections across 16 constituencies in 12 states, including Anambra, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Adamawa, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba, and Zamfara. The elections were triggered by resignations and deaths of lawmakers, as well as court-ordered reruns.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, disclosed that all non-sensitive materials had been dispatched, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) configured, and logistics and security put in place. He urged political parties, candidates, voters, and observers to comply strictly with electoral laws to ensure credible polls.
