Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has charged law enforcement agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the fire incident that gutted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Obingwa Local Government Area be brought to book.
It will be recalled that INEC building at Mgboko, headquarters of Obingwa Local Council was set ablaze Sunday by yet to be identified assailants.
Reacting to the incident, Ikpeazu condemned the perpetrators, describing them as enemies of the state.
The governor also called on the Police and the Army to beef up security in all INEC formations in the state to forestall such incidents.
He lamented the tendency of some disgruntled elements in society to vandalize public property, saying that it is a big drawback to the effort of government in providing dividend of democracy.
While he reiterated the determination of his government to maintain law and order and protect life and property of the Abia citizenry, he used the occasion to warn perpetrators of such acts to turn to a new leaf as his administration would not tolerate any deviant act.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has described the incident as unfortunate.
The Chairman of the party in the state, Senator Emma Nwaka, while addressing newsmen in Umuahia yesterday wondered why the opposition party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, should take over the functions of the security agencies.
According to him, if there is any local government area PDP should win it is Obingwa, the home of the governor.
He said that PDP has never lost Obingwa since 1999, adding that PDP will win Obingwa any time, any day.
