By Ahmed Kaigama
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi State has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with transport unions to facilitate smooth movement of personnel and materials in the upcoming general election.
The parties to the agreement are: Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Mohammmed Nura said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Bauchi.
He said the agreement was initially sealed at the national level and replicated at state and local government levels.
The commission, he said, was in partnership with the unions to ensure timely and effective transportation of personnel and election materials to polling units across the 20 LGAs of the state.
He said the commission had so far distributed non-sensitive materials to the local government areas while distribution of sensitive election materials will begin on Thursday.
The REC said the commission had trained 622 Collation/Returning Officers and thousands of other electoral officers to facilitate smooth conduct of the elections in the state.
He listed the trained election officers to include Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), Presiding Officers (POs), Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs), Technical Personnel (RaTech), among others.
Nura said the commission was engaging relevant stakeholders, especially the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), to ensure safe delivery of election material and peaceful conduct of the elections.
While reitrating commitment to free, fair and credible elections, Nura urged voters to conduct themselves peacefully during the election exercise.
“We are ready to go and appealed to the people of the state to conduct themselves orderly and peacefully during the elections.
“People should turn out en masse to excercise their franchise in a peaceful atmosphere,” he said. (NAN)
