2019 inec denies creating additional polling units

A specific topic!

In 2019, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria denied creating additional polling units, amidst controversy and allegations to the contrary.

The controversy arose after the commission announced the creation of 56,872 new polling units, bringing the total number of polling units in Nigeria to 176,846. The move was seen as a major reform aimed at increasing voter turnout and reducing congestion at polling stations.

However, some critics, including opposition parties and civil society organizations, accused INEC of creating the new polling units to favor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and undermine the opposition.

INEC's Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, denied the allegations, stating that the creation of new polling units was a necessary step to ensure that all eligible voters had access to the electoral process. He also emphasized that the commission had followed due process in creating the new polling units, which were approved by the National Assembly.

Yakubu also pointed out that the creation of new polling units was not a new phenomenon, as it had been done in the past. He noted that the commission had created new polling units in 2011, 2015, and 2017, among other times.

Despite INEC's denials, the controversy surrounding the creation of new polling units continued to generate heated debate in Nigeria, with many calling for the commission to provide more transparency and accountability in its electoral processes.