Column: INEC must fix election logistics before 2027—US models show how partnerships beat improvisation
In a new column, public policy advisor Adeola Akinremi argues INEC must adopt structured logistics partnerships for the 2027 elections, citing US models where election authorities coordinate with specialised agencies for ballot transport. INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan inaugurated an Electoral Logistics Committee in October, declaring no Nigerian should be disenfranchised because materials arrived late.
The problem is decades old. From FEDECO to INEC, election materials still arrive late at too many of Nigeria's 176,000+ polling units, disenfranchising voters in riverine Niger Delta communities, island settlements, and insecure rural areas. INEC's own 2023 review identified transportation, procurement, reverse logistics, and security as weaknesses. EU observers confirmed late deployment as a key failure.
Akinremi proposes a four-pillar Election Logistics Partnership Framework: (1) written agreements defining roles—INEC plans and retains custody, Police protect, FRSC checks roadworthiness, maritime agencies handle waterways, transport unions provide vehicles, emergency agencies cover contingencies; (2) advance planning classifying every polling unit by accessibility and matching transport to terrain; (3) standard chain-of-custody records with unique references, seal numbers, timestamps, and signatures at every handover; (4) public reporting and independent post-election review.
A critical caution: security agencies must protect without taking independent custody of materials. Party agents and accredited observers must witness handovers. Faster transport is no substitute for transparent collation.
Will INEC finally budget, assign owners, and test its own logistics fixes before 2027, or will another election cycle run on improvisation?