Some bus drivers engaged in conveying election materials in Enugu South Local Government Area on Saturday refused to move, demanding full payment of agreed fares.

The drivers, who converged on the INEC office at New Gariki, said conveying the materials without being paid would be risky. They said getting people to pay them after the election would take a lot of work.

One of the bus drivers, Michael Agugu, said he would not risk conveying the election materials without payment.

“Although they said that they have given one of our members the money to share to us, up till now, we have not received the money. I am not going to carry any material if I am not paid,” Mr Agugu said.

Another driver, Moses Ugwu, said it was not his first time transporting electoral materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and they usually get paid upfront.

“If they don’t pay us now, nobody will listen to us after the election.

“I will rather leave the promises with my vehicle than put water in an empty basket,” Mr Ugwu added.

An INEC official pleaded anonymity and said the issue was due to a communication breakdown.

“We have transferred their money to them, but some of them insisted that they must receive alerts before they will leave,” he said.

As of 11:00 a.m., some drivers were still adamant, while others had begun conveying the election materials to polling centres. 

(NAN)