The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering alternative transportation arrangements for the movement of election materials ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, following the ongoing leadership crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The move comes amid renewed violence involving rival factions of the transport union across parts of the state.

Earlier on Monday, panic spread across Osogbo as suspected members of two opposing NURTW factions clashed over the control of motor parks. Eyewitnesses said the rival groups stormed the parks armed with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons in a struggle for control of park leadership and revenue collection.

The Osun State Police Command later confirmed the incident, stating that the violence erupted after one faction protested its alleged denial of access to motor parks by the dominant group.

A senior INEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the commission is exploring independent transport options outside the NURTW structure to safeguard the distribution of both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials.

According to the source, the decision is aimed at protecting the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring seamless logistics on election day.

“The commission will not want the integrity of the election to be compromised. We are looking at alternative transport platforms to ensure materials are moved safely and on time,” the official said.

The source further stressed that INEC would not entrust election materials to any transport group perceived to have political affiliations.

“We won’t hand over election materials to politically affiliated groups. We will make sure materials are independently distributed. The commission leadership is working on this line of thought,” the official added.

The official, however, assured that the ongoing crisis in motor parks across Osun State would not disrupt the commission's election logistics or affect the timely distribution of materials.