The Nigerian Air Force has commenced the airlift of electoral materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across the country ahead of the general elections.

The exercise which started on Monday, February 11, 2019, is to be carried out both day and night with NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja to various airports across the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, explained that both sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials were being conveyed in batches.

“The materials were duly delivered by the C-130H aircraft crew to teams of INEC and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials together with security personnel waiting at the various airports,” he explained in the statement.

According to Daramola, this was in keeping with the promise by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during his meeting with Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) and NAF Field Commanders on February 1, 2019, to avail INEC its transport aircraft for the expeditious movement of electoral materials.

“It is pertinent to state that the transport aircraft are deployed solely to provide airlift support to meet INEC’s logistics requirements, in fulfilment of NAF’s constitutional role of providing Military Aid to Civil Authority,” he added.

The general elections are billed to commence on Saturday, February 16, 2019 beginning with the Presidential and National Assembly Polls, to be followed by the Governorship and Houses of Assembly on March 2, 2019.

•Sourced from a Channels TV report

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