The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, promised to mobilise every available national asset for free, fair elections next year.

Leading top officials of the commission on a courtesy visit to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, assured Nigerians that the electoral body would leave no stone unturned in tackling logistics as it relates to the movement of election materials.

He sought stronger support from the force with a view to addressing the issue ahead of the Ekiti, and Osun governorship polls and the 2023 general election.

According to Yakubu, an election constitutes the most extensive mobilisation and complex logistics operations that could happen in a country in peacetime.

He pointed out that in handling such a huge national assignment, INEC could not do it alone.

Yakubu said: “Every national asset must be mobilised. It is in realisation of this objective that the law empowers the commission to seek the support of the security agencies in general, and the armed forces in particular, in delivering materials for elections and protecting electoral officials.”

Explaining the huge logistics task ahead of the commission in 2023, the INEC helmsman submitted: “On February 25 and March 11, 2023, the commission would deploy personnel and materials to about 190,000 voting and collation locations nationwide for 1,491 executive and legislative offices across Nigeria. These activities must take place simultaneously, stretching over 923,768km2 within a space of six voting hours (8.30 am-2.30pm), involving a projected population of 90 million voters.”

He said the purpose of the visit was to “explore more effective ways of ensuring that working together as provided by law, we address aspects of the perennial issue of logistics in our elections in which we believe the Air Force has a critical role to play in the movement of materials.”

Yakubu said the advocacy would be extended to other armed services in the commission’s determination to effectively and efficiently deliver materials with an eye to serving Nigerians better on election day.

He continued: “There is no time to waste. The 2023 general elections are only 261 days from today. However, the Ekiti State governorship election is held in the next 10 days on Saturday, June 18, 2022, while the Osun governorship election holds in 38 days on Saturday, July 16, 2022.

“We will seek the support of the Air Force in handling the delivery of outstanding election materials to the two states, while the commission bears responsibility for all subsequent deployment within the states.”

The INEC chief reassured Nigerians that his organisation would work with all stakeholders, particularly agents of political parties and candidates, observers and the media to inspect and accompany election materials to various locations in a transparent manner.

Responding, Air Marshal Amao commended Yakubu and his team for the steady improvement in the electoral process.

He said the force, in deference to its social responsibility commitment, is preparing its transport aircraft to assist the commission in achieving its objective.

Amao pledged that NAF would convey electoral materials to designated areas, adding that a bilateral committee would be immediately raised to look into the request for effective election logistics delivery.