Professor Mahmood Yakubu, head of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, has estimated that more than 100,000 cars and around 4,200 boats will be required to transport workers and sensitive items to the different polling locations during the 2023 general elections.
Moreover, he promised Nigerians that voting supplies and people will arrive on schedule on election day.
On Tuesday in Abuja, Yakubu spoke at the signing of the revised Memorandum of Understanding between INEC and the unions representing road transport workers and marine workers, with the help of ActionAid Nigeria. The new version of the MoU is intended to ensure the smooth deployment of personnel and materials on election day.
However, political parties complained that the commission should have solicited bids instead of selecting transportation unions based on their nationalities alone.
Yakubu stated, “The 2023 general election will involve the nationwide deployment of over 1 million personnel and massive quantities of materials twice within two weeks from our state offices to 774 local government areas, 8,809 electoral wards, and 176,846 polling units across the length and breadth of our country.” This statement highlights the logistics required for the polls.
“It will require over 100,000 vehicles and about 4,200 boats that will be accompanied by naval gunboats. This is a huge undertaking that must be accomplished in the next 66 days and we are resolute in doing so to give Nigerians a pleasant voting experience.
“Let me assure Nigerians that we are determined that all polling units nationwide will open at 8.30 am on Saturday, 25th February 2023 for the presidential and national assembly elections and on Saturday, 11th March 2023 for the governorship and state house of assembly elections.
“To ensure that personnel and materials will be at the polling units on election day awaiting the arrival of voters rather than the other way round, INEC requires large numbers of vehicles, including motorcycles, tricycles, boats, and canoes in the riverine areas which cannot be met from its internal resources,” he added.
The commission chairman noted that the movement of all vehicles and boats would be electronically tracked to ensure that personnel and materials are not hijacked or diverted.
He said, “The security agencies shall not only be available to escort all vehicles and boats to locations, but they will also ensure the safety and protection of all election personnel and materials. As usual, we shall track the movement of all vehicles and boats electronically and in real-time to ensure that election personnel and materials are not hijacked or diverted.”
He also stated that the commission has chosen to expand the MoU to include the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in order to reduce bottlenecks in the deployment of supplies and manpower in riverine zones.
“We will therefore require your members to swear and strictly adhere to this oath and the INEC Code of Conduct for Electoral Officials as your participation in the delivery of electoral logistics requires absolute neutrality and non-partisanship,” he said, urging union leadership to effectively supervise their members in the various chapters and branches for the full implementation of the MoU.
Yakubu also urged resident electoral commissioners to work with federal regulatory and safety organizations to guarantee the cars’ and boats’ road/seaworthiness and safety requirements.
