The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has attributed the high cost of electoral logistics to the decision to stagger elections, saying it would make more economic sense to conduct all elections in one day.
INEC also explained its decision to spend N85 billion on logistics for the conduct of the 2019 general election, citing insecurity and Nigeria’s difficult terrain as major reasons.
INEC had in 2017, unveiled a schedule which put presidential and National Assembly elections first and governorship and state assembly last.
However, speaking yesterday at a roundtable with executive members of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW; Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, and the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, at the Electoral Institute in Abuja, INEC’s National Commissioner, Amina Zakari, said: “We have earmarked N85 billion on logistics for the 2019 general election.
“For a two-day election, which is the least number of days to conduct elections, it costs about N10 billion for logistics. You can imagine what will be involved if we have to take the elections in more than one.
“These costs exclude leasing of boats in riverine areas, additional gunboats for security, hiring of helicopter for other areas affected by insurgency and difficult terrain.
“Moving of personnel and materials in those areas is very challenging and these must be done at the same time nationwide. It is worse because about two-thirds of the country’s territory is a difficult terrain.
“The window for the deployment of electoral materials is too short, as they must be delivered between 5a.m. and 8a.m.”
