INEC charges BVAS late into Friday night in Anambra community
With less than 24 hours to the Anambra State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was still charging Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines late into Friday night at its Ogbaru Local Government Area office in Atani.
PREMIUM TIMES observed that a medium-sized yellow generator was running around 5:45 p.m. to supply power to dozens of BVAS devices, while party agents waited around the premises.
An agent of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said the late-night activity suggested that the commission was not prepared earlier in the day.
“When we came in the morning, it was obvious they were not ready,” he said.
As of 7:30 p.m., several BVAS machines were still being powered. INEC officials declined to comment when approached by this newspaper for explanations on the late preparations.
Security presence around the Ogbaru council headquarters was heavy, with police officers and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deployed in anticipation of Saturday’s poll.
Background of previous attack
A section of the Ogbaru Local Government Secretariat remains unrepaired months after it was burnt during an attack by gunmen in July 2024.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that armed men stormed the secretariat in the Atani community in the early hours of the morning, firing sporadically before setting several vehicles ablaze.
Residents said at least five vehicles — including two pickup trucks, two buses, and a tricycle truck — were destroyed, while one pickup truck was partially burnt. A video clip of the aftermath circulated widely on social media.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident at the time, noting that no lives were lost.
He said the gunmen, who arrived on motorcycles and another vehicle, were resisted by vigilante operatives before police reinforcements arrived.
A deputy commissioner of police later led a joint team of security agencies — including the army and navy — to the scene for an assessment, while operations to track down the attackers were launched.