INEC removes Polling Units from Shrines, Churches, Mosques, Palaces

The Independent National Electoral Commission, ,INEC announced on Wednesday that it had removed 749 Polling Units from inappropriate locations across Nigeria.

Some of the inapproriate places included Shrines,
Mosques, Churches, palaces and private property.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the announcement at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners, (RECs) at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Yakubu said “after consultation with stakeholders, the Commission has successfully removed 749 Polling Units from inappropriate locations to appropriate public facilities or open spaces in line with our policy to guarantee unencumbered access to Polling Units for all voters.

Advertisement

“Of this figure, 232 were removed from private property, 145 from royal palaces, 6 from Mosques, 21 from Churches and 9 from Shrines.

“The remaining 336 Polling Units were relocated for various reasons which include distance, difficult terrain, congestion, communal conflict, new settlements and general insecurity.”

▪︎Nigeria’s total Polling Units now 176,846

The INEC Chairman also disclosed that Nigeria now had a total of 176,846 Polling Units.

Yakubu said, “After wide ranging consultations with stakeholders and fieldwork by our officials, the 56,872 Voting Points and Voting Point Settlements were converted and added to the existing 119,974 Polling Units.

“Consequently, the Commission is glad to report that 25 years since the current Polling Units were created in 1996, the hard nut is finally and successfully cracked after several unsuccessful attempts. Nigeria now has 176,846 full-fledged Polling Units.”

▪︎INEC fixes dates for Ekiti, Osun guber polls

The commission has also announced the dates for Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections.

Yakubu said, “In the sequence of off-season
elections, the Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections are holding next year.

“In keeping with our policy
of announcing the dates of elections in advance to enable early and effective preparations by all concerned, the Commission has approved that the Ekiti State Governorship election will hold on Saturday 18th June 2022 while the Osun State
Governorship election will hold one month later on Saturday 16th July 2022.

“The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the two elections have been uploaded on the Commission’s website and social media platforms. We implore political parties and aspirants to ensure rancour-free primaries and thereafter conduct peaceful electioneering campaigns.”

Before announcing the dates, he said, “Looking to the near future, the Commission is preparing to conduct the remaining off-season end of tenure elections ahead of the 2023 General Election. Already, activities listed in the timetable for the Anambra State Governorship election are being implemented. So too are those of the FCT Area Council election holding on 12th February 2022.”