Worried by the threat posed to the smooth conduct of the forthcoming general elections by the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is meeting with national leadership of the union on Friday.
The meeting is to discuss the ongoing strike by ASUU in relation to the preparations for the general elections as the bulk of critical election duty staff are drawn from the universities and to ensure that the electoral processes are not affected by the industrial action.
Similarly, the Commission will next week meet with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) with which one of its affiliate unions, the National Union of Road Transport Workers has recently signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU with INEC for the movement of personnel and materials on election day so that any industrial action by the NLC does not affect the Mou.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman made these disclosures Thursday while inaugurating two adhoc committees on Electoral Logistics and National Collation Centre at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu explained that the Electoral Logistics Committee headed by INEC National Commissioner, a retired Air Vice Marshall, Ahmed Mu’azu comprised relevant security agencies whose roles are defined in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), will be responsible for for coordinating logistics support as well as the clearance and transportation of election materials to various locations nationwide.
“Sensitive and non- sensitive materials procured by the Commission must be delivered to almost 200, 000 locations nationwide, ranging from the polling units to the Ward, Local government, State and National Collation centres for the 1,558 constituencies into which elections will be conducted. At the end of the elections, sensitive materials will be retrieved from the same locations”, he said.
According to him, the National Collation Centre committee chaired by National Commissioner, Amina Zakari which is entirely internal to the Commission shall be responsible for the national Collation centre where results of the Presidential election will be announced.
“As was the case in 2015, the Commission will use the International Conference Centre(ICC) in Abuja. Already, the management of ICC has approved the Commission’s request to once again use the venue in 2019. It will serve as the Secretariat for collation of results and venue for briefing of international observers and the media. It will also be accessible to agents of the seventy- three (73) political parties fielding candidates in the Presidential election”, Yakubu stated.
Responding on behalf of members of the two Committees, Chairman of the Electoral Logistics Committee, Mu’azu promised to live up to the expectations of the task they have been saddled with to ensure the smooth, transparent and credible conduct of the general elections.
