Zamfara had over 15,000 voters in a polling unit during 2019 elections – INEC

By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed the national average number of voters per polling unit was 700 during the 2019 general elections with a specific polling unit in Zamfara State recording over 15,000 voters while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had over 2,000 voters.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Ogun State, Prof. AbdulGaniy Olayinka Raji, who disclosed this on Monday, said in Ogun State, the average number of voters per polling unit ranged from 374 in Remo North to a maximum of 1,170 in Ado/Odo/Ota and average of 740 in the State.

Prof. AbdulGaniy spoke during the stakeholders’ meeting on the expansion of voter access to polling units and the commencement of continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise at the Commission’s State Headquarters, Magbon, Abeokuta.

Representatives of the state government, political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, civil society organisations among others were at the meeting.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner identified the cause of such congested or crowded polling units as inadequate polling units, a declining number of polling units, population increase among others, stressing that this informed why the Commission is desirous of expanding voters access to polling units.

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He lamented that repeated attempts by the INEC to expand voter access to polling units by establishing new ones or relocating some to better sites have not been successful, citing politicization of the process by sundry interests in the country, delay arising from opposition to the establishment of polling units and inadequate consultation with all stakeholders.

He also pointed out that the exact number and location of polling units in the country remained largely unknown for a long time, but submitted that subsequent enumeration exercise established the number to be 119,973 contrary to the figure of 120,000 that was assumed for many years.

He noted that the current configuration of 119,973 (polling units) nationally and 3,210 in Ogun State, was established by the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) in 1996, stressing that it has been very difficult for the Commission to create additional units despite the growing number of voters, settlements and population.

He, however, revealed the Commission has almost reached 80% complete in its preparation towards conducting an electronic voting system in the country while new polling units have been created but awaiting approval from the National Assembly.