Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has assured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the company’s support in ensuring a successful 2023 election.
The assurance was given when Kyari received the INEC management team, led by its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, at the NNPCL Tower in Abuja.
Kyari stated that the company has put in place measures to address the current fuel distribution challenges and ensure that there is enough fuel nationwide for the success of the election.
He said: “I assure you just as you have indicated, we have taken very extreme measures to see that we can contain the current distribution challenges that we have. We believe that within the next one week there will be significant relief, if not elimination of the current situation that we are facing.”
Kyari stated that the NNPC considered the INEC request as a honor and challenge to do everything possible in making sure that Nigeria has a stable political system.
He also stated that the company would work with other commercial companies to make the product available in locations where NNPCL was not present and will work with the INEC logistics team to identify these areas.
He added: “We will provide commercial conversation between the commission and other marketing companies so that when you need this product, you will have it.”
Yakubu, in his remarks, said the visit was to seek a partnership with the NNPC to ensure adequate supply of petrol for effective logistics delivery during the 2023 general elections.
He stated that the election was complex with 93,469,008 registered voters expected to cast their votes for a president, 28 state governors, and 1,462 legislators.
He added: “The Commission is mobilizing about 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats for the deployment of personnel and materials to 176,846 polling units spread across 8,809 Registration Areas (or electoral Wards) in 774 Local Government Areas nationwide.”
Yakubu said that INEC was working with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Marine Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to mobilize vehicles and boats needed for the massive land and riverine movement of humans and materials for the election.
He also made some proposals to the NNPC including the use of the NNPC land and floating mega stations nationwide to service the election duty vehicles and boats and a special arrangement with other marketers in locations where the NNPC may not have dedicated stations.
In response, Kyari stated that the NNPC was always conscious of the necessity to provide support to INEC whenever elections take place.
He said: “All the same, we are always conscious of the necessity to provide support to INEC whenever election takes place.”
The NNPC has set up a committee to work out the modality for the implementation of partnership with INEC toward a hitch-free election.
