Polling units (PUs) remain essential in every democratic electoral process. This is largely because it is the last channel via which citizens exercise their constitutional right, vote and be voted for. With limited polling units across the country, ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU and BODE OLAGOKE take a look at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) decision to create additional polling units nationwide.
PUs then and now
The law guiding elections in Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which defines a polling unit as “the place, enclosure, booth, shade or house at which voting takes place under this Act” (Section 156-interpretation), also empowers INEC to establish adequate number of PUs in the country and to assign voters to them. This is explicitly stated in Section 42 of the Act, thus: “The Commission shall establish a sufficient number of polling units in each registration area and allot voters to such PUs.”
However, since 1996 when the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) established the current 119,973 existing polling units to serve no fewer than 50 million registered voters and with 700 per units, INEC since its establishment in 1998 has not increased the number of the polling units despite an increase in the population of registered voters.
As the population of registered voters continued to increase, like it was witnessed in 2019 when it rose to 84,004,084, many political stakeholders have lent their voices to the creation of additional polling units for voter access.
Notably, INEC attempted to create additional polling units in 2007, when the Commission created what it named baby units in the FCT. These baby units were an offshoot of the existing units which are located in the area of need.
Similarly, as contained in INEC’s 2021 discussion paper the State of Voter Access to Polling Units in Nigeria, it in 2011 also introduced voting point; this is a voters grouping system that enables the Commission to re-group large polling units into smaller clusters (voting points) to ease voting. Though this has been accepted by most Nigerians and all stakeholders, the smaller clusters, voting points, over the years have failed to address the problem of low voter turn-out which is largely caused by the inability of many to travel to their PUs as the election movement restrictions and in some cases crowded PUs.
The last attempt was in 2014 during the build-up to the 2015 general elections, when the Commission proposed an additional 30, 070 new polling units. Unfortunately, it jettisoned the idea and reverted to the use of a voting point for the 2015 general elections over what it described as “unfounded allegations and negative propaganda” from some sections of the media.
Nationwide verification exercise
The Commission on May 4, this year, commenced a nationwide verification exercise for centres proposed for voting units to be converted to polling units.
Its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this when he visited some of the proposed centres and existing polling units in the FCT and Nasarawa state, said the purpose of the verification exercise was to ensure that the right thing was done in the conversion of the voting points to polling units.
He also said, “All the national commissioners are out, visiting the states of the federation to verify the work of converting the voting points to polling units.
“So, we decided from the headquarters to visit some of the polling units and voting points in the FCT and also in the Karu local government area, Nasarawa state. You will recall that as part of our engagement with stakeholders, we show images of one of the congested polling units in the country from Karu in Nasarawa state.
“So, I have to verify that the right thing is being done in converting those voting points to polling units and relocating them in line with the Commission’s guidelines.”
Need for expansion
The Commission stated that the objective of expanding the polling unit is to address low voter turn-out, among others. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Jigawa state, Dr. Mahmuda Isah, said this recently at a stakeholders’ meeting on expanding voter access to polling units in Dutse.
Isah said other objectives are to improve the health safety conditions at polling units in compliance with Covid-19 protocol during the 2023 general elections.
The expansion, according to him, is also to digest existing polling units by reducing the number of voters per polling unit and ensure better access at polling units for persons with disability.
“A practical review conducted by the Commission in 2014 revealed that many polling units recorded an excess number of voters. Some units exceeded the designated figure of 500 voters per polling unit to a couple of over 4,000 registered voters,” he said.
IPAC’s reaction
In his reaction, the chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, said the creation of additional polling units “will make the job of political parties easier.”
Nzenwa in a phone chat with this reporter said, “It’s a step in the right direction. It must be done with sincerity of purpose to capture all stakeholders that this time around, the areas that were not captured will be captured this time. Why we need additional polling units is something that is welcome. We had a population of fewer than 50 million voters in 2015 and we now have 85 million.
“We have had an increase in prospective voters, so additional polling units are also required to take care of this number of voters. So, it’s a step in the right direction and done to accommodate those not captured previously. To IPAC, it’s a welcome development.”
On what benefits additional polling units will bring for the political parties and the electorates, Nzenwa said, “For the electorates, it will make access to polling units easier. In the past, we had people travelling more than two kilometres to get to polling units. Now, the polling units will be closer to most of the electorates.
“For political parties, it will make their job easier. When you have the polling unit closer to the electorate, the task of creating awareness and directing the electorate to vote becomes easier. In terms of the larger stakeholder, it will restore some level of confidence and make them partake actively in the electoral process and to deepen our democracy.”
On the fears of effective management and transparency, the IPAC boss noted that, “A grown-up woman will surely get married one day, get pregnant and deliver a baby. She cannot ignore any of the above because of pains. Therefore, because of fears and deep concerns, we cannot be stagnated. We have to move on. We can’t get everything perfectly one day. It’s usual experimentation until we get there. The increase in voters registration is a clear indication that people want to cast their vote.
“So, do we on account of fears remain at the level we had less than 120,000 polling units. It doesn’t make sense. As we have more voters, there is a need to open up space and create polling units closer to them. Fears are welcome and justified, but we must find a way to grow our democracy, which is growing our polling units, which is a crucial aspect of our democracy.”
Experts’ views
Meanwhile, a political analyst, Jide Ojo, has said “if INEC successfully creates additional polling units it will guarantee better voter access.”
Ojo, in a telephone chat with Blueprint Weekend, said, “Additional polling units, in my considered view, are long overdue. If stakeholders can agree with INEC, it will guarantee better voter access.
“The last time we created polling units was in 1996, that’s 25 years ago. All attempts to create additional polling units have not been successful. Professor Attahiru Jega, when he was INEC chairman, did try to create 30,000 polling units but it was resisted on the excuse that the South-South People Assembly led by Chief Edwin Clark felt it was lopsided in favour of the north against the south. We have had to live with that decision up till now.
“Between 1996 till now, the expansion has not taken place up till now. If you look at Abuja, as of 1996, it was barely 6 years after the relocation of the capital from Lagos to FCT. Abuja was a jungle then.”
He said further that, “If we continue to work on the polling units that were available then, it means a lot of people will be disenfranchised. That has warranted a low voter turnout. During election time, the economy will be shut down. If you registered far away from home or workplace, you will not find it easy going to vote. INEC made it a policy to vote where you were registered.
“This is to guarantee better voter access. CSOs and the media should be able to follow up to ensure we don’t end up having polling units in the jungle or traditional ruler’s palaces or awkward places. Polling units have to be sited in neutral places, away from residences. I wish INEC could imitate Egypt and come up with a policy to site polling units in only public schools. Those are neutral places no one can lay claim to and not residential areas that politicians can manipulate and lay claim to. You can have up to 10 polling units in a particular school for convenience, it’s all about demarcation.”
On the impact the additional polling units would have on the 2023 general elections, Ojo said, “Ahead of 2023, if it is concluded on time for INEC to sensitise people, it will be good because there is the advantage of voter access. It will guarantee more people access to polling units. However, the implication is that your name will no longer reflect where you used to vote before as a result of the creation of these additional polling units. This is because many people will register during Continuous Voter Registration; so, INEC will distribute them according to alphabetical orders. So, those voting in a particular polling unit since 1999 may experience a shift to another polling unit.
“So, there will be a need for public enlightenment for people to check their names and where they will henceforth be voting. That has to be done well ahead of 2023, particularly in states that will be having bye-election and governorship elections. That will also increase voter turn-out if the exercise is done successfully.”
Limited manipulations
Another analyst, Aminu Mohammed, is of the view that additional polling units will heighten voter confidence in the nation’s electoral process, INEC and that manipulations will be limited.
Mohammed told this reporter that, “So many of us, for so many years, have been clamouring for the creation of additional polling units even though a few in the past came up with propaganda to stall the plan some years ago. But today, especially to those who care about our democracy, it is obvious that with an increase in registered voters there is certainly a need for creating additional polling units.
“We have about 120,000 polling units with some voting points, but yet many Nigerians are disenfranchised as a result of long-distance polling units, crowded polling units and others. So, to show that INEC and other stakeholders care about the growth of Nigeria democracy, then they must work to solve the problem of low voter turn-out due to limited polling units. And the best way to address this is by creating additional polling units.
“When additional units are created it means more people, if not all registered voters will vote. It will give voters easy access, make voting more convenient and even enable the process to be more transparent. Instead of having over 700 voters in a polling unit, with additional units, smaller voters will exercise their constitutional rights in units.
“This also means an increase in voter turn-out, small number per polling units, speedy process and limited manipulation. When there is a fewer number per polling unit, security personnel, observers, party agents and other stakeholders will be able to do their work effectively to limit electoral manipulation.”
He added: “For political parties and their candidates, with additional polling units, they will spend more money to mobilise agents and station them in those polling units. But it will also help them.
“If more polling units are created, voters will know that stakeholders and INEC want them to have a say and exercise their right to vote in or out political leaders. So, the creation of additional polling units will boost the voter confidence in INEC and will also enable the process to be more transparent.”
APC chieftain’s take
When asked for his reaction, a foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the director-general, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, said the on-going creation of more polling units by the INEC “is a welcome development.”
Expressing confidence in the current leadership of the electoral body, he said having more polling units “will demolish collation centre banditry.”
“I have implicit confidence in Prof. Mahmood Yakubu leadership of INEC, especially in their upgrade of electoral management. They have demolished collation centre bandits, by popping up polling units on their platform. In this vein, one supports the creation of additional polling units as our population increases.
“I know of many wards that witnessed increase in population and migration for one reason or the other. Such wards need to have more polling units,” he said.
