INEC moves to expand voter access, to create more polling units

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed its intention to expand voter’s access ahead of future elections by creating more polling units across the country.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued on Tuesday by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, who said that the move will address the inadequacies of polling units in Nigeria.

Okoye, who issued the statement after a meeting of its (INEC) senior management staff in Abuja, also added that there would be a meeting of stakeholders to effectively address the issue.

He also listed the challenges facing INEC at the moment to include; overcrowding, numerous unserved populations and poor locations, which are potentially disenfranchising millions of Nigerians, and also pose health risks in the context of the COVID – 19 pandemic.

The statement reads thus in part; “The commission met on February 2 2021 and deliberated on a number of issues including the finalised arrangements for the upcoming engagements with stakeholders on expanding voter access to polling units in Nigeria.

“For several weeks, the commission has been preparing for these national engagements to address the inadequacies of polling units in Nigeria and the challenges they pose to election management.

“Some of these challenges include overcrowding, numerous unserved populations and poor locations, which are potentially disenfranchising millions of Nigerians, and also pose health risks in the context of the COVID – 19 pandemic. This is a national problem that calls for national consensus,” he noted.