The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Friday, gave reasons why previous attempts by the Commission to create more Polling Units failed.
According to the Commission, the genuine intention to expand voter access to polling units in 2007, 2014 and shortly before the 2019 general elections was misunderstood and politicised.
The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a consultative meeting with media organisations, saying, “As you are probably aware, the Commission has reviewed the previous efforts at expanding voter access to polling units in 2007, 2014 and just before the 2019 general elections and why they were unsuccessful.”
“We came to the conclusion that our genuine intention may not have been properly communicated for input by Nigerians. We also tried to solve the problem too close to the general elections. The exercise was therefore misunderstood and politicised.”
“I am glad to note that today’s meeting focuses on the expansion of voter access to polling units. This matter is at the heart of electoral democracy. Every eligible citizen has the right to register and vote in democratic elections. However, the right to vote cannot be effectively exercised without a place to vote. Citizens’ right to vote must be exercised in a conducive and safe environment, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“Unfortunately, Nigeria has a critical problem of voter access to polling units. The country currently has 119,973 Polling Units established a quarter of a century ago in 1996 by the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON). At that time, the voter population was projected at 50 million.
“The voters’ register increased to 84,004,084 by 2019. We envisage that by the next general elections in 2023, the population of registered voters may be twice the number projected in 1996. Yet, the number of polling units remains the same. This is a national problem. It must be addressed in earnest.
“Today’s meeting with the media is in furtherance of our consultations with stakeholders. There will be a presentation followed by discussion. We hope that by doing so, we will better communicate the Commission’s intention to Nigerians and invite input across the board on how to address this problem in the immediate term and hopefully establish the framework for future adjustments as the need arises as is the case in virtually all democracies around the world. Let us work together to finally solve the 25-year-old problem of access to polling units in Nigeria.”
