Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to distribute election materials through the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, which is headed by Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo.
With the understanding that they would deliver election officials and ballots to polling places on election day, the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, met with the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) on Tuesday.
In a statement released by his special assistant for public communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president stated that in order to protect the integrity of this election and make sure that there is no opportunity for electoral fraud.
Shaibu explained that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had banned the NURTW because the national leadership of the union suspended MC Oluomo.
He added that Sanwo-Olu had also banned RTEAN and then set up the Lagos State Parks Management Committee and appointed MC Oluomo the chairman so that he will have total control of the entire public commercial transport system of Lagos.
The statement read “It has been brought to our attention that INEC will be using members of the NURTW, RTEAN and other registered unions to transport election materials and electoral officials and corps members on election day. Unfortunately, in Lagos State, there is no NURTW or RTEAN as they have been proscribed by Governor Sanwo-Olu.
“Lagos is now operating a parks management committee led by MC Oluomo, who is a member of the Presidential Campaign Council. On October 9, 2022, he and his transport thugs held a march for Tinubu in several parts of Lagos State.
“To preserve the sanctity of this election and ensure that there is no room for electoral malpractice, INEC must ensure that MC Oluomo is not allowed access to ballot papers. INEC should not make use of the state’s park committee. Rather, the commission should reach out to the national leadership of the NURTW and or engage the services of any logistic company for the purpose of distributing sensitive electoral materials in Lagos State.”
