The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed it won’t provide election materials or deploy personnel to 86 polling units located in Anambra state for the upcoming November 6 gubernatorial election.
The Chairman, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this announcement at a special consultative meeting with political parties which held in Abuja on Friday.
According to Yakubu, the said 86 polling units have no voters on the record of the electoral commission.
In his words: “Understandably, the voters have also been more circumspect in asking for a transfer to polling units. At the same time, the commission did not use its powers under Section 42 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to allot voters to the new polling units to minimise the disruptions that may occur from such a decision given the forthcoming governorship election.
“Consequently, out of the 5,720 polling units in Anambra State, 86; 1.5 per cent have no voters. For that reason, the commission will not be deploying personnel and materials to these polling units. Furthermore, 894 representing 15.6 per cent of the polling units have between 1 and 49 voters. The election will hold in these polling units.”
Speaking on the upcoming election, the INEC boss said the commission has already sent all non-sensitive materials to 21 Local Government Areas in the state while the sensitive materials have been sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Anambra command, who will in turn deliver them to the 21 LGAs.
“Our State office in Awka is arranging for stakeholders to inspect the materials at the premises of the CBN in Awka. As is the case in all elections, the sensitive materials are moved under security escort to each Local Government Area from where they are distributed to the Registration Areas or Wards and finally to Polling Units on Election Day,” Yakubu added.
