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Flood Destroy INEC Office in Benin

Published by Tope Fakinlede on May 25th, 2024.

Flood Destroy INEC Office in Benin

A severe flood hit the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin, Edo State, following heavy rainfall on Friday, May 24, 2024. This incident was confirmed by Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement released on Saturday.

Olumekun detailed the extent of the damage, noting that the floodwater inundated both movable and immovable assets, including vehicles, office furniture, and equipment. Despite the significant damage, INEC is taking swift actions to ensure the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process remains on track. The commission is deploying additional machines from neighboring states to compensate for the damaged equipment.

The statement from INEC read: “Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, our Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, reported that our State Headquarters in Benin City experienced severe flooding due to a torrential downpour on Friday, May 24, 2024. Preliminary assessments indicate that the heavy rain caused extensive damage to a section of the building, submerging vehicles, office furniture, and equipment. Some voter enrollment machines, already configured for the upcoming CVR, were affected. However, we are delivering additional machines from neighboring states to ensure the CVR across all 192 Wards in Edo State will proceed as scheduled on Monday, November 27, 2024.”