From Jibrin Miachi, Kaduna
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has so far received 9,777 requests for additional polling units across the country amid call by Northern leaders to create more polling units.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu made this known while on a consultation visit to the members of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, Tuesday.
Recall the last time polling units were created in the country was in 1996 when 119, 973 polling units came into being. The INEC boss said 25 years after no additional polling units have been created.
“Since 1999, the nation had conducted six general elections using the same polling units. The growing demand by Nigerians for additional polling units is increasing by the day.
“We did not ask them to forward their request but they did that unsolicited. Intact, there is one request we received from a person requesting for about 800 polling units in his area”.
Speaking further, the INEC Chairman disclosed that “from October 2020 when the commission received 5,700 requests for additional polling units, the number of requests have skyrocketed to 4,077 in just 4 months.
“As of yesterday, the 15th February, 2021 we have received 9,777 additional requests for polling units.”
Yakubu maintained that the call for creation of additional polling units is not confined to a particular section of the country but rather “every section of the country is asking for more polling units.”
Explaining further, he said “the ongoing consultation with critical stakeholders is to ensure that Nigerians understand why it has become necessary to have additional units”.
He lamented that over the years there has been voter’s apathy as citizens’ right to exercise their franchise has been hampered on compared to Ghana in recent times.
The chairman argued that the creation of additional polling units was necessitated by certain factors ranging from “overcrowding, electoral violence, poor electoral service among others.”
“So far we have met with political parties, NGOs, security agencies, media, now with ACF. Going forward we will meet with the National Economic Council, brief the Federal Executive Council and National Council of States.”
Yakubu said: “it is in realization that the Commission may not have engaged adequately with stakeholders in the past that the present Commission decided to embark on this far-reaching series of engagements.
“From next week we will meet with the National Assembly,” he added.
Responding, the National Chairman of ACF, Audu Ogbeh noted that from the presentation made by the commission’s Chairman, the message is very clear.
Ogbeh, who was represented by the National Secretary of ACF, Murtala Aliyu, said: “we should not politicize the issue. We should give Nigerians what they want.” He added that: “ACF will reach out to the people of the region and educate them about it.”
