Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the commission will enter into strategic partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to ensure an effective distribution of  materials and personnel ahead of the 2019 elections.

Prof Godswill Obioma, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi, said this at a meeting attended by representatives of   the 29 branches of the NURTW and INEC officials on Saturday in Abakaliki.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Obioma commended the union for the previous partnership with the commission in the area of transport arrangements.

The REC said that transportation was a critical component of election involving timely movement of INEC personnel and electoral materials.

 According to him, elections are held between 8a.m.  and 4p. m. “It becomes pertinent that adequate transportation arrangements are made to ensure that INEC officials and materials are moved to designated election centres on time.”

He said the meeting was in line with the directives from the commission’s national headquarters that state offices of INEC should hold meetings with its strategic partners on election planning.

The REC told members of the NURTW that the meeting was to enable the commission embark on early transportation planning.

He said that the initiative would also help the commission to overcome avoidable mobility challenges.

 Obioma said that the meeting was a follow up to an earlier meeting held between the commission and the union.

He restated the commitment of the electoral body to conduct credible, free and fair elections in Ebonyi in 2019.

The state chairman of the NURTW, Chief Oko Ewa, said the union would support the commission to succeed in the areas of transportation.

Ewa, represented by the state secretary, Mr Sunday Ebude, said that NURTW would respect the partnership arrangement.

The NURTW Chairman also commended the commission for starting the planning one year ahead of the election. “The early planning will enable both the commission and our union to resolve every challenge that may arise along the line. NURTW has been a critical partner of INEC and we assure you that we are going to abide by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the committee  will come up with, ” he said.