INEC Edo headquarters flooded, voter registration relocated after heavy rain

A heavy downpour resulting in flooding on Friday night has wreaked havoc on the Edo State headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), causing unquantified damage to property.

This is also as the state government deployed its officials to desilt drains and clear flood pathways in different parts of the state in preparation for predicted flooding across flood-prone sites and lowland areas.

In a viral video, the perimeter fence of the INEC office could be seen destroyed by the heavy flooding caused by Friday night’s downpour.

Vehicles parked at the INEC premises were not spared, as they were also submerged in the flood disaster, along with other valuables, including operational gadgets as well as office furniture and equipment.

Reacting to the incident, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement made available to newsmen quoting the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, said the INEC State Headquarters in Benin City experienced damage following the torrential rainfall on Friday, May 24, 2024. Preliminary assessment shows that the heavy downpour damaged a section of the building.

According to him, movable and immovable items were submerged, including vehicles parked at the premises as well as office furniture and equipment.

“Some of the voter enrollment machines already configured for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) are affected. However, the Commission is delivering additional machines from the neighbouring States to make up for the shortfall. We are determined to ensure that the CVR in all the 192 Wards across Edo State will proceed on Monday 27th May 2024 as scheduled.

“However, in view of the emergency situation, the State Headquarters will not serve as a registration centre as planned. Instead, the exercise will now take place in our Ikpoba Okha LGA office located at 16 Customs Road, off Benin/Auchi Road, Benin City,”Olumekun said.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has sympathised with the people of the state over the impact of the recent flash flood across Benin City, resulting from the heavy downpour on Friday, May 24, 2024.

Edo State Commissioner of Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City on Saturday, said the government had also deployed its officials to desilt drains and clear flood pathways in different parts of the state in preparation for the predicted flooding across flood-prone sites and lowland areas.

He said, “The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had a few weeks ago warned of heavy flooding from torrential rains.

“We had taken the alerts seriously and embarked on responsive strategies across the State’s flood management sites, especially retention ponds and other infrastructure to limit the impact of the flooding.

“Despite these, the heavy downpour of May 24, 2024, which lasted for over 15 hours, had stressed various flood flash points in the State, resulting in overflowing of the banks.

“The State’s Command and Control Centre has since been responding to emergency calls from the impact of the incident, dispatching response teams to provide support and emergency care to areas most impacted by the incident. These efforts would be sustained.”