By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the Friday fire incident at its headquarters would not affect the administrative or technical operations of the Commission in any way.

The commission disclosed this in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in Abuja.

Okoye said that the fire did not cause any substantial damage to the building.

According to Okoye, at 11.30 a.m on Friday a fire outbreak occurred at a section of the building housing the Election and Party Monitoring Department and the Media Centre.

The building is an annex, detached from the main building of the INEC’s headquarters.

“Fire fighters attached to the Commission swiftly responded to contain the inferno and they were later joined by their colleagues from the Federal Fire Service headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The fire was extinguished within a short period of time and did not cause any substantial damage to the building.

“Apart from some office furniture and equipment, nothing sensitive was destroyed. Reports of party primaries and conventions are intact.

“The campaign finance database is also not affected. The incident will, therefore, not affect the administrative or technical operations of the Commission in any way.

Okoye however, said investigation into the cause(s) of the fire incident had commenced. (NAN)

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