INEC needs 100,000 vehicles, 4,200 boats for 2023 elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has said that the commission would need over 100,000 vehicles and about 4,200 boats to convey materials and personnel to various polling units across the country for the 2023 general elections.

Yakubu said this on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, while assuring Nigerians of the timely arrival of materials and personnel on election day, during the signing of the revised Memorandum of Understanding between INEC and road transport and marine workers’ unions in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria in Abuja.

He explained that the revised MoU was designed to facilitate the successful deployment of personnel and materials on election day.

Explaining the logistics required for the election, Yakubu said; “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.

“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.”

The INEC boss added that the movement of all vehicles and boats would be electronically tracked to ensure that personnel and materials are not hijacked or diverted, The Punch reports.

“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,” Yakubu said.

In their reactions, the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Tajudeen Baruwa; the President, of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, Yusuf Othman and the President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Adeyanju Adewale assured INEC that they would maintain neutrality throughout the election period.

They also registered their commitment to work with the electoral body to ensure materials and personnel arrive at various polling units early.