INEC To Engage MC Oluomo-Led Parks Committee To Distribute Election Materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed plans to engage Lagos State Parks Management Committee headed by Musiliu (MC Oluomo) Akinsanya, a Lagos APC chieftain, to distribute election materials.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje made this known while responding to questions on controversies around the engagement of the MC Oluomo-led committee during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting at the INEC office on Tuesday, in Lagos.

“There is a ban on the NURTW and RTEAN, we are only left with the Park Management system and NARTO (National Association of Road Transport Owners) and we are already working with NARTO.

“NARTO is not even able to meet up with 40 per cent of our vehicle requirements for this election. The commission in Lagos State does not have any option than to use the park management system,” Mr Agbaje explained.

Agbaje stressed that the commission was not concerned about Akinsanya, a loyalist of APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.

“We are not dealing with Oluomo, we are dealing with the park managers. Individual people that have vehicles are those we are going to use.

“So, it will be against the law if INEC has to continue to work with NURTW or any other group that is proscribed in the state,” the INEC boss said.

Working with Lagos State Parks Management Committee Will Not Reduce Credibility Of Polls

The INEC boss further maintained that working with the state parks management committee would not reduce the credibility of the polls as the movement of electoral personnel and materials would be monitored by security agencies, party agents and observers.

“So, I don’t see how this can compromise the election in any way. Our politicians should see the peculiarity in Lagos State; we cannot work with banned NURTW or RTEAN.

“We need over 5,000 vehicles for this election, including trucks, buses and so on to carry our people and materials for the elections. There is no other way we can go.

“We cannot go to other states and bring vehicles here, it is not allowed by law. The only way we can operate is through the park management system,” he stated.

Mr Agbaje assured that the commission would not use any politically branded vehicle for the elections, such as any vehicle carrying the logo of a party or image of any candidate.