The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday warned transport operators in Ekiti State, under the auspices of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), against sabotaging efforts to conduct a credible, free and fair governorship election scheduled for June 20 through poor transport arrangements.
National Commissioners of the commission, led by Prof. Sani Adams, warned that any transporter who frustrates the commission’s efforts would be arrested and prosecuted for breach of contract.
The commission frowned at previous attempts by transport operators to hold INEC to ransom over logistics arrangements and appealed to the union to fulfil its obligations by providing the required number of vehicles and ensuring that drivers are properly paid for their services.
“This is a contract between Nigerians and your union. It is not about INEC. The entire world is watching. Please don’t bring vehicles that do not meet specifications. If you have to rent vehicles, ensure they are in good condition and that drivers are paid.
We do not want a situation where drivers hold us to ransom on election day, insisting on payment before moving.
“Also, note that reverse logistics is part of the contract. After taking our personnel and materials to the field, you are expected to return them to the office and not abandon them in the field,” Prof. Adams said.
Addressing the transport unions, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, expressed concern over the seeming friction between the NURTW and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), warning that such disagreements could affect the integrity of the election in the state.
He urged both unions to cooperate for the success of the election, stressing that transport logistics remain a critical component of credible elections.
“Your election can only be as good as your transport logistics,” he said.
Amupitan explained that although the commission does not have enough vehicles of its own to meet election demands, it continues to partner with transport unions because of their wide reach and operational capacity.
He warned the unions against collecting money for vehicles they cannot provide, stressing that election logistics must be properly planned to avoid last minute challenges similar to those experienced during the Anambra governorship election.
He noted that experience has shown that transport unions often fail to provide enough vehicles after collecting payments, resorting to renting vehicles and eventually supplying fewer than required.
The INEC chairman also reminded the unions that both local and international election observers usually monitor fewer than 100 polling units and often base their assessments on what they observe there, particularly any negative developments.
“We must not give them anything negative to report about the elections.
Let them look for faults and not find any. Tell us what you can do and what you cannot do. Don’t lie to us,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the NURTW, the Head of Organisation and Industrial Relations at the union’s headquarters in Abuja, Olayioye Adesina, said the disagreement between NURTW and NARTO stemmed from claims that NARTO has no operational vehicles in Ekiti State and therefore should not participate in election logistics.
He argued that any failure by NARTO would ultimately be blamed on the NURTW, insisting that although NARTO is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), it should not be allowed to participate in the exercise.
Adesina, however, assured the commission that the NURTW would honour its agreement with INEC in the overall interest of the election and Nigerians.
