The Commission also stated that it only has a logistics contract for the distribution of election materials with drivers and not transport unions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distanced itself from chairman of the defunct National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
INEC said it does not have any contract with transport unions for the transportation of election materials.
The Commission also stated that it only has a logistics contract for the distribution of election materials with drivers and not transport unions.
INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, made this known while speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Thursday.
According to the INEC spokesman, the commission only signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with transport unions, who are in charge of the drivers.
Speaking further, Okoye said the commission will not allow itself to be blackmailed, adding that this is not the first time the commission will hire vehicles for the distribution of election materials.
He said: “Courage and competence reside in this commission. This commission will not succumb to the blackmail and antics of those who do not wish the electoral process well.
“For the 2023 election, this commission is going to hire at least 138,000 vehicles and we have hired vehicles in the past. We are going to hire at least 4,000 boats; we have hired boats in the past. The commission is going to hire 88,000 motorcycles.
“The commission enters individual contracts with the vehicle owners; we don’t enter any form of contract with the unions.
“What we have with NURTW, NARTO, and marine unions is what we called a memorandum of understanding (MoU). We don’t enter into contracts with them.
“The issue of the name of an individual being mentioned to the effect that the individual is going to provide all the vehicles the commission needs for the purpose of this election is just mischievous.
“We have contracts with individual drivers. What the unions do for us is that we enter into MoU with them. Sometimes in a situation where the individual drivers abscond, they help us locate the drivers.
“In a situation where the driver does not turn up on time, they know their members and help us find out why the individual has not turned up on time.
“It is true that in some states, the NURTW has been banned but they don’t convey materials for us. It is the individual drivers that convey materials for us.
“I want to assure the nation that we don’t have contracts with NURTW, NARTO, and marine unions. Our contract is with the individual drivers who own these vehicles and provide the vehicles on election day.”
Okoye stated this following the controversy over the decision of INEC to work with the Lagos State Parks Management Committee for the distribution of election materials.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos, Olusegun Agbaje, said working with the committee headed by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, would not compromise the forthcoming elections.
However, the decision of the Commission has been greeted with criticism with some Nigerians saying that the arrangement will affect the credibility of the polls since MC Oluomo is a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).