July 19, 2023

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu and his National Commissioners have met with members of the various transport unions which it had engaged during the 2023 General Elections.

The meeting according to Mahmood is to review the conduct of the engaged transport unions vis-a vis the implementation of the MoU signed with them on the provision of logistics which is sacrosanct in the conduct of the 2023 General Elections.

“There is no doubt that the success of any election primarily depends on the ability to deploy personnel and materials to various locations. In Nigeria, this involves the biggest logistic deployment the nation periodically undertakes across vast terrains and often difficult topography.

“This has been a perennial challenge over time but is now compounded by issues of infrastructure and insecurity. However, the Commission has to deploy personnel and materials not only for Election Day activities but electoral activities in general covering the period before, during and after the elections.

“Similarly, in line with the Commission’s policy, when the review engagements are completed, a comprehensive report will be prepared”.

“I therefore urge you to lend your wealth of experience to the discussions in order to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses for immediate improvement in forthcoming elections, especially the three off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States scheduled to hold on Saturday 11th November 2023”, Mahmood said.

Present at the meeting were the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN).