By Ezeocha Nzeh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that eligible Nigerians will vote in 176, 846 Polling Units across the country in the 2023 general elections
INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this, while addressiong the European Union Election Observation Mission, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the commission has created additional 56,872 polling units, stressing that the new polling units were converted from erstwhile Voting Points and Voting
Professor Yakubu told the visiting EU Election observes, led by Santiago Fisas and Maria arena that the commission received and reviewed 178 recommendations, after the 2019 general elections, adding that it has gone ahead to implement many of the recommendations that require administrative action by the Commission while working with the National Assembly on areas that require legislative action by way of amendments to the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
“Shortly after it was signed into law, the Commission released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election which contains 14 activities out of which two have already been implemented. These are the publication of the Notice of Election and the availability of nomination forms on a dedicated portal for downloading by political parties.
“With regard to the 2019 General Election, the EU Observation Mission made 30 recommendations out of which 11 concern the electoral Commission directly. Three of them were identified as priority recommendations while 8 are categorised as general. The priority recommendations include the improvement of organisational and operational capacity of the Commission as well as the management of election outcome, particularly the availability and public access to results from Polling Units and collation centres.”
INEC noted that it has recorded a lot progress, including the creation of a new Gender and Inclusivity Department as well as the Litigation and Prosecution Department, adding that it has similarly expanded voter access to Polling Units for the first time in 25 years by converting the erstwhile 56,872 Voting Points and Voting Point (Settlements) into Polling Units and relocation some of them from congested locations to unserved and under-served locations, bringing the total number of Polling Units to 176,846.
“We must admit that in many States we are struggling to achieve a more balanced distribution of voters to polling units. However, this is a priority project for the Commission which will be accomplished before the 2023 General Election.
“Clearly, the biggest progress made by the Commission since 2019 is in the area of deepening the deployment of technology in elections. INEC is the first electoral commission in West Africa, if not Africa as a whole, to upload Polling Unit level results to a portal in real-time on Election Day. In addition, there are other portals for ease of nomination of candidates and submission of list of Polling Agents by political parties and the accreditation of media, domestic and international observers,” INEC revealed
