- The leadership of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) continues to face integrity
problems
- The move by the commission to re-introduce new
polling units has sparked outrage
- INEC is said to have perfected plans to call them
Voting Point Settlements
A report by THISDAY indicates that the ghost of
the creation of 30,000 new polling units in the
run up to the 2015 elections has resurfaced, with
the move by INEC to re-introduce new polling
units, but this time disguised as Voting Point
Settlements.
According to the report, should INEC adopt the
format used in 2014 when it attempted to create
precisely 30,062 new polling units, with more
units allocated to the states in Northern Nigeria
than the South, this could compromise the
integrity of the 2019 elections.
The initiative was let out of the bag last month
when the former INEC chairman, Professor
Attahiru Jega, congratulated the current
chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for
among other achievements, what he called the
“review of the polling units, registration areas as part of the
commission’s significant, commendable progress made to
sustain, deepen and defend the integrity of the Nigerian
electoral process.”
An internal memo on the introduction of Voting
Point Settlements is said to have further revealed
that it was targeted at re-introducing the
controversial 30,000 polling units that were
rejected by the public before the 2015 elections.
By bringing it up, Jega had brought to the fore
the creation of the additional 30,000 polling units
which he was said to be passionate about
implementing in his time as INEC chairman and
is now encouraging his successor to re-introduce
under a new nomenclature.
The first time the introduction of new polling
units was mooted in 2014, it was very
controversial because many saw the allocation of
polling units as skewed and not reflective of the
registered voter demographics of the country.
Many had argued that the north was unduly
favoured because the northeast which was
heavily under siege by Boko Haram terrorists at
the time was allocated more new polling units
than the southwest which was peaceful and had
two heavily populated states – Lagos and Oyo
states in the zone.
Also, the southeast, made up of five states, had
almost the same allocation of new polling units
as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The allotment of polling units then by the Jega-
led INEC was as follows: northwest – 7,906,
northeast – 5,291, and the north-central – 6,318.
However, INEC under Jega allotted the southwest
4,160 polling units, the south-south – 3,087 and
southeast – 1,167 while the FCT got 1,200 new
polling units.
At the time, Jega had argued that the additional
polling units would bring the total to 150,000
polling units nationwide with 500 voters per
unit.
He also said the new polling units were being
created to: decongest over-crowded polling units
and dispersing voters as evenly as possible
among all them;
• Locate polling units more effectively within
commuting distances of voters, given that
movement is usually restricted on election day;
• Relocate the unit from “in-front of” private
houses, and such other unsuitable places, to
public buildings or where this is not possible, to
public open spaces where tents can be provided;
• Locate them inside classrooms or such other
suitable enclosures, in line with international
best practices;
• Split large polling units such that they have on
average of 500 registered voters; and
• Create additional polling units to cater for the
splitting of large polling units as well as new
settlements not serviced by any existing units.
With the latest move by the current INEC
leadership, many are concerned that the so-
called Voting Point Settlements is an attempt to
bring back the skewed 30,000 polling units by
subterfuge with the same numerical electoral
advantage given to Northern Nigeria.
They wondered why the electoral commission
would introduce the same polling unit
controversy and reinforce Nigeria’s fault-line
through the clandestine intended changes very
close to the 2019 elections, given the distrust it
might cause.
Meanwhile, an election observer group, the
Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group
(ISDMG) has faulted the failure of political
parties in the country to participate in the
process of cleaning up of voters register since
2011.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, ISDMG executive
director, Dr Chima Amadi, said following an FOI
inquiry to tNEC, it discovered that even though
the commission has been complying with the
provision of the Electoral Act and making voters
register available to political parties, none of the
political parties or individuals have bothered to
verify it.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2010 (as
aMeanwhile, an election observer group, the
Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group
(ISDMG) has faulted the failure of political
parties in the country to participate in the
process of cleaning up of voters register since
2011.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, ISDMG executive
director, Dr Chima Amadi, said following an FOI
inquiry to tNEC, it discovered that even though
the commission has been complying with the
provision of the Electoral Act and making voters
register available to political parties, none of the
political parties or individuals have bothered to
verify it.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in Section 10 (3) provided that the commission shall, within 60 days after each year,
make available to every political party the names
and addresses of each person registered during
the year.mended) in Section 10 (3) provided that the
commission shall, within 60 days after each year,
make available to every political party the names
and addresses of each person registered during
the year.
Commission (INEC) continues to face integrity
problems
- The move by the commission to re-introduce new
polling units has sparked outrage
- INEC is said to have perfected plans to call them
Voting Point Settlements
A report by THISDAY indicates that the ghost of
the creation of 30,000 new polling units in the
run up to the 2015 elections has resurfaced, with
the move by INEC to re-introduce new polling
units, but this time disguised as Voting Point
Settlements.
According to the report, should INEC adopt the
format used in 2014 when it attempted to create
precisely 30,062 new polling units, with more
units allocated to the states in Northern Nigeria
than the South, this could compromise the
integrity of the 2019 elections.
The initiative was let out of the bag last month
when the former INEC chairman, Professor
Attahiru Jega, congratulated the current
chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for
among other achievements, what he called the
“review of the polling units, registration areas as part of the
commission’s significant, commendable progress made to
sustain, deepen and defend the integrity of the Nigerian
electoral process.”
An internal memo on the introduction of Voting
Point Settlements is said to have further revealed
that it was targeted at re-introducing the
controversial 30,000 polling units that were
rejected by the public before the 2015 elections.
By bringing it up, Jega had brought to the fore
the creation of the additional 30,000 polling units
which he was said to be passionate about
implementing in his time as INEC chairman and
is now encouraging his successor to re-introduce
under a new nomenclature.
The first time the introduction of new polling
units was mooted in 2014, it was very
controversial because many saw the allocation of
polling units as skewed and not reflective of the
registered voter demographics of the country.
Many had argued that the north was unduly
favoured because the northeast which was
heavily under siege by Boko Haram terrorists at
the time was allocated more new polling units
than the southwest which was peaceful and had
two heavily populated states – Lagos and Oyo
states in the zone.
Also, the southeast, made up of five states, had
almost the same allocation of new polling units
as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The allotment of polling units then by the Jega-
led INEC was as follows: northwest – 7,906,
northeast – 5,291, and the north-central – 6,318.
However, INEC under Jega allotted the southwest
4,160 polling units, the south-south – 3,087 and
southeast – 1,167 while the FCT got 1,200 new
polling units.
At the time, Jega had argued that the additional
polling units would bring the total to 150,000
polling units nationwide with 500 voters per
unit.
He also said the new polling units were being
created to: decongest over-crowded polling units
and dispersing voters as evenly as possible
among all them;
• Locate polling units more effectively within
commuting distances of voters, given that
movement is usually restricted on election day;
• Relocate the unit from “in-front of” private
houses, and such other unsuitable places, to
public buildings or where this is not possible, to
public open spaces where tents can be provided;
• Locate them inside classrooms or such other
suitable enclosures, in line with international
best practices;
• Split large polling units such that they have on
average of 500 registered voters; and
• Create additional polling units to cater for the
splitting of large polling units as well as new
settlements not serviced by any existing units.
With the latest move by the current INEC
leadership, many are concerned that the so-
called Voting Point Settlements is an attempt to
bring back the skewed 30,000 polling units by
subterfuge with the same numerical electoral
advantage given to Northern Nigeria.
They wondered why the electoral commission
would introduce the same polling unit
controversy and reinforce Nigeria’s fault-line
through the clandestine intended changes very
close to the 2019 elections, given the distrust it
might cause.
Meanwhile, an election observer group, the
Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group
(ISDMG) has faulted the failure of political
parties in the country to participate in the
process of cleaning up of voters register since
2011.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, ISDMG executive
director, Dr Chima Amadi, said following an FOI
inquiry to tNEC, it discovered that even though
the commission has been complying with the
provision of the Electoral Act and making voters
register available to political parties, none of the
political parties or individuals have bothered to
verify it.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2010 (as
aMeanwhile, an election observer group, the
Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group
(ISDMG) has faulted the failure of political
parties in the country to participate in the
process of cleaning up of voters register since
2011.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, ISDMG executive
director, Dr Chima Amadi, said following an FOI
inquiry to tNEC, it discovered that even though
the commission has been complying with the
provision of the Electoral Act and making voters
register available to political parties, none of the
political parties or individuals have bothered to
verify it.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in Section 10 (3) provided that the commission shall, within 60 days after each year,
make available to every political party the names
and addresses of each person registered during
the year.mended) in Section 10 (3) provided that the
commission shall, within 60 days after each year,
make available to every political party the names
and addresses of each person registered during
the year.