'Lai Olurode mainly from the offices of the NSA to the President, the NPF, the SSS, the different branches of the Military, NSCDC, NIS, NCS and all other arm bearing agencies of the state. In the perception of the Commission, these could be regarded then as the core stakeholders in election security while others may be assumed as stakeholders on the fringes. Prominent among this group of fringe stakeholders are transport workers, transport owners association, the youth wings of political parties, independent artisans and millions of unemployed youths who are easy targets or cannon fodders in the hands of politicians and their cronies. Among this plethora of stakeholders, the NURTW deserves a special focus for some reasons as adduced in the following: First, is the population size of this transport workers union and its members being predominantly youths. Its size and demography as well as outlook justify our special attention on the union as strategic, though it is a non-state actor in election security matters. Second, the strategic importance of transport workers in moving goods and people in a country where public transportation is almost non-existent cannot be glossed over. The cooperation of this group in any national project that requires logistics is an imperative. As an example, except for their collaboration, movement of election materials and personnel and their retrieval cannot simply take place if this group becomes recalcitrant. Third, it is public knowledge that the political class seeks the friendship of this group to gain electoral advantage. Politicians and security agents thus struggle to contain the excesses of this group while simultaneously cultivating their friendship and loyalty for 50 Understanding a'Power Broker': The Road Transport Workers Unions in the Context of Election Security security and political reasons. Transport workers unions are believed to be a power broker of a sort. The popular perception is that the nature of the work of transport workers predisposes them to aggressive behaviour and are thus vulnerable for recruitments as thugs in the electoral process. The fourth point is on the nature of recruitment into this trade. It seems to be less formalised unlike most others where new recruits are introduced by known persons and where agreements and terms of engagement are duly executed and agreed to. There also would be an understanding as to the number of years to be spent as an apprentice, terms of graduation and initiation. These are certainly not the case with young apprentices into the transport business. They seem to be recruited into the business on a weak contractual basis. This results in easy membership and perhaps, it is one of the reasons of its large population. It will be good to answer the question: Who are the road transport workers? In the constitution of the NURTW under Article 5, it is defined as“any person who is engaged in the road transport services or employed in the public sector companies, i. e. transportation of passengers and foodstuffs by road shall become a member of the union on organization of such employees into the union.” A relevant question is,“What is the public perception of transport workers? Motor parks apprentices are derogatively referred to as 'omo ita' or'omo eyin oko' by the Yorubas. In Hausa, they are pejoratively referred 6 to as'yan tasha' someone with no reputation, 6 Interview with Ambassador Mohammad A. Wali, April, 2014. 51