The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the service of the Nigerian army, navy, and air force, will be crucial in the conduct of next year’s general elections.
This was made known at the inauguration of the Electoral Logistics Committee (ELOC) in Abuja on Friday, by the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
According to the electoral umpire boss, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) will also be drafted as members for the crucial election.
Yakubu stated that this is in pursuant of their statutory responsibilities for the clearance and release of materials at seaports and other entry points into the country.
He promised that the presidential election will not be postponed due to logistics issues in reference to what happened before the 2019 general election.
The INEC chairman said: “I must say from the outset that this committee is distinct from the commission’s Electoral Operations and Logistics Committee (EOLC), which is a standing committee chaired by a National Commissioner.
Rather, ELOC is an inter-agency committee established close to a general election for a specific objective only. It is therefore ad hoc in nature.
The establishment of the committee is borne out of the commission’s effort to ensure the speedy and safe delivery of huge quantities of sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the 2023 general election.
The logistics for the clearance, handling, custody, delivery, and distribution of enormous quantities of election materials is the biggest operation Nigeria undertakes every four years.”
