Fire Razes INEC Office In Sokoto, Destroys Key Electoral Materials

A devastating fire has engulfed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Gwadabawa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, causing significant destruction to electoral materials.

Confirming the incident, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, stated in a release on Friday, February 14, 2025, that the fire was reported by the Administrative Secretary of the Sokoto State office, Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa.

The blaze, which erupted in the early hours of Tuesday, February 11, 2025, completely consumed the building, destroying vital election materials.

Among the items lost were 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting cubicles, 186 election bags, and several Registration Area Centre (RAC) supplies, including 12 large water tanks, 400 sleeping mats, and 300 plastic buckets.

While preliminary findings suggest that a power surge may have caused the fire, security and safety agencies are conducting further investigations to determine the exact cause.

The statement partly read: “At its regular weekly meeting held on Thursday 13th February 2025, the Commission took note of a sad incident of fire outbreak in our Gwadabawa Local Government Area office in Sokoto State as reported by the Administrative Secretary in charge of the State office, Mrs. Hauwa Aliyu Kangiwa.

“The fire started in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 11th February 2025. The entire building was damaged. Items destroyed include furniture and fixtures as well as movable electoral facilities, among them 558 ballot boxes, 186 voting enclosures (cubicles), 186 election bags and various Registration Area Centre (RAC) materials such as 12 large water tanks (1,000 litres), 400 sleeping mats and 300 plastic buckets.

“Preliminary report from our State office indicates that there was a sudden surge from public power supply before the incident. However, the actual cause of the fire outbreak is being investigated by the security and safety agencies which have deployed their personnel to the facility.

“No injuries or fatalities were recorded.“

In response to the incident, INEC has assured that efforts are underway to secure a temporary facility in Gwadabawa to prevent any disruptions to electoral operations in the area.