Confirming the incident, Commissioner of Police Mr. Bethrand Onuoha, characterized the attack as regrettable and malicious. He detailed that the assailants targeted the REC's residence at approximately 3:00a.m. on Friday but encountered robust resistance from security personnel.
He said, “The joy of it all is that the hoodlums did not succeed in their nefarious act as my officers gallantly repelled their attack and burnt the vehicle they came with.
“Right now, there are soldiers stationed in the house alongside our personnel to keep watch and ensure safety.
“Again, all the junctions around the house and INEC office have heavily armed soldiers and policemen keeping watch to forestall any eventuality.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state engaged in a blame game.
The SDP urged an immediate investigation into the incident to hold the perpetrators accountable, while the APC placed blame on the SDP and called for the immediate arrest of the SDP's governorship candidate, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka, over the attack.
Kingsley Fanwo, the Director of Media and Publicity and spokesperson for the APC Campaign Council, held an emergency news conference on Friday. He stated that the attempted attacks was not only on the INEC commissioner's residence but also on the Government House and the party's secretariat.
Fanwo accused the SDP of attempting to conceal electoral offenses in Kogi East during the recent November 11 governorship election and alleged that SDP wanted to tamper with INEC documents for potential use at the election petition tribunal.
Calling the situation a "slide to anarchy," Fanwo urged the police, department of state services, and other security agencies to arrest Ajaka and his supporters promptly, whom he claimed were behind the attack on the residence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).
“The attack was perpetrated days after we alerted the nation of plans by the SDP thugs to attack INEC.
“They have finally done their worst by attacking the residence of the Kogi INEC commissioner, engaging security agents in a fierce gun battle and eventually burning down some vehicles in the residence and the area,” he said.
