THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it has created fifty-six thousand, eight hundred and seventy-two (56,872) new polling units across the country just as it announced several new measures towards improving the country’s electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja, also stated that the commission has removed polling units from what he described as “inappropriate” places and worship centres across the country.
Prof Yakubu said the creation of the new polling units has increased the number to one hundred and seventy-six thousand, eight hundred and forty-six (176,846) full-fledged polling units against the initial one hundred and nineteen thousand, nine hundred and seventy-four (119,974) polling units in the 36 states and the FCT.
According to the INEC Chairman, the total number of polling units removed from “inappropriate places” stands at seven hundred and forty-nine (749).
“After wide ranging consultations with stakeholders and fieldwork by our officials, the 56,872 voting points and voting point settlements were converted and added to the existing 119,974 polling units.
“Consequently, the Commission is glad to report that 25 years since the current polling units were created in 1996, the hard nut is finally and successfully cracked after several unsuccessful attempts. Nigeria now has 176,846 full-fledged polling units.
“Of this figure, 232 were removed from private properties, 145 royal palaces, six mosques, 21 churches and nine shrines. The remaining 336 polling units were relocated for various reasons which include distance, difficult terrain, congestion, communal conflict, new settlements and general insecurity,” Prof Yakubu said, adding that Nigeria would no longer use voting points.
He said while the new polling units will not be used for the pending by-elections in Kaduna, Jigawa and Plateau states, voting points will however be discarded starting with the November 6, 2021, Anambra governorship election.
“For subsequent elections, beginning from the Anambra State governorship election holding on 6th November, 2021, there will be no voting points any more in Nigeria,” Prof Yakubu said.
