FCT polls: INEC engages 1,132 vehicles, warns transporters against lapses

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned transport unions tasked with the delivery of logistics for Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections to adhere strictly to agreed arrangements.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, who gave the warning during a meeting with leaders of transport unions in Abuja ahead of the polls, said the commission had engaged 1132 vehicles for the movements of the materials across all the six area councils.

He emphasized that the commission would not tolerate excuses that could undermine the electoral process.

A statement by the INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, listed the participating unions as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.

Amupitan described transport logistics as the “backbone of electoral operations,” adding that the success of the elections depends largely on the timely and efficient movement of materials and personnel across the six area councils of the FCT.

“An election can only be as good as its logistics,” he said, noting that INEC expects sound and serviceable vehicles in line with the specifications agreed upon in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the unions.

He said the 1,132 vehicles would support the movement of election materials to 2,822 polling units across the 10 wards in five area councils and 12 wards in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

According to the Chairman, a total of 570 candidates are contesting for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions.

Amupitan expressed concern over past experiences, citing instances where unserviceable vehicles were deployed or failed to show up entirely.

He noted with regret that in one previous case, INEC had to activate emergency alternative arrangements to avert a total operational setback.

He stressed that INEC would not accept excuses—whether deliberate or inadvertent—that could jeopardize the timely delivery of sensitive and non-sensitive materials to Registration Area Centres (RACs) and polling units.

“Our target is for voting to commence at 8:30 a.m. For that to happen, materials must arrive at polling units by 7:00 a.m. or 7:30 a.m., which means vehicles must depart RACs as early as 6:00 a.m.,” he said.

The Chairman also directed Electoral Officers in the FCT to closely supervise the implementation of logistics agreements at the area council level.

In her response, the Director of Legal Services for the NURTW, Mercy Ibeh, acknowledged the commission’s concerns. She noted that the level of success in any election often depends on the depth of collaboration between stakeholders. She stated that the union has engaged extensively with the FCT office of the commission over several months to identify challenges and propose workable solutions.

Also speaking, the FCT Chairman of the NURTW, Abdullahi Dauda, assured the commission of the union’s commitment. (NAN)

Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.

Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.