INEC speaks on creation of 30,000 polling units

      

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reacted to reports that it has created 30,000 additional polling units ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had last Friday accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and INEC, of fresh plots to secretly ‘create 30,000 illegal polling units in compromised areas’ in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari

But a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, on Sunday in Abuja, urged Nigerians to disregard the allegation.

Oyekanmi explained that the commission only got 3,789 requests nationwide for the creation of new polling units.

According to Oyekanmi, the commission responded by directing its Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, to thoroughly assess and provide it with information on new settlements not served or inadequately served by existing polling units.

He added that the commissioners were also to provide information on areas with natural barriers that hinder access to existing polling units; as well as areas that were distant from existing polling units.

He said in the statement, “The RECs are also to assess and provide information on areas affected by communal and other conflicts that make voting in existing polling units unsafe for voters.

“It is these reports and the information they contain that will be collated and carefully examined by the commission in order to determine what changes may be necessary in the current polling units` profile of the country.

“Therefore, the insinuation that the commission intends to create 30,000 new polling units to compromise the 2019 General Elections is false, misleading, unfounded and should be disregarded.”