The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced nationwide verification exercise for centres proposed to be converted to polling units across the country in line with its commitment to ensuring Nigerians of voting age have access to vote.
The electoral body explained that 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.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said that all the National Commissioners were deployed to the 36 states of the Federation to verify the work of converting the voting points to polling units.
Yakubu disclosed this on Tuesday at the INEC’s office in Karu Local Government, Nasarawa State, while visiting some of the proposed centres and existing polling units in the FCT and Nasarawa State.
According to him, with the conversion of voting points to polling units, there would be expanded access to polling units for voters, while congestion of polling units would be eliminated in future elections.
“You will recall that as part of our engagement with stakeholders, we showed images of one of the congested polling units in the country.
“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. So far, it is work in progress. At the end of the exercise, we will address the media,” he said.
The INEC Chairman said that he had been informed that 395 voting points were being converted to polling units in Karu Local Government.
“What we have done basically, is to build on what we did in 2019. Recall that we are converting the voting points used for the 2019 elections into autonomous polling units and relocating them. This is going to be a continuous process. One exercise will not solve the problem.
“But we hope we have established the mechanism that going forward, the commission will be adjusting the number of polling units as the number of registered voters increases,” he said.
He gave assurance that the Continuous Voters Registration exercise would commence on June 28 after the conversion of the Polling Units, adding that voters would be given the opportunity to choose the location they wished to be their new polling units.
He urged stakeholders and community leaders to support the commission and sensitise the people on the ongoing exercise for the conversion of polling units.
