The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that the split polling units used during the February 21 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory were created in February 2022, not in 2026.
The commission dismissed allegations that voters were migrated shortly before the election, stating clearly that no voter redistribution took place in 2026. It explained that the adjustments being referenced were part of a nationwide restructuring exercise carried out in 2022 to improve access to polling units and reduce congestion.
According to INEC, under its Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units initiative, more than 56,000 additional polling units were created across the country in 2022. This increased the total number of polling units from 119,972 to over 176,000. To ensure the new units were functional, about 6.7 million voters were redistributed from roughly 12,000 overcrowded polling units to about 17,000 less congested ones nationwide.
In the Federal Capital Territory, the commission said 411 polling units were decongested, with approximately 580,000 voters redistributed to 1,156 polling units within the territory.
INEC further clarified that split polling units are essentially additional voting points equipped with BVAS devices to facilitate smoother accreditation and faster voting in large polling centres with more than 1,250 registered voters. These units are typically located a few metres from the original polling units within the same premises to maintain order and improve the voting experience.
The commission stressed that the splitting of polling units did not affect voters’ registration status. Instead, it was an administrative measure aimed at redistributing voters within the same location for efficiency and better crowd management.
INEC acknowledged that during a mock election in the FCT, it observed that some voters who had been migrated in 2022 were still experiencing difficulty identifying their designated polling units. To address this, the commission sent text messages and emails to affected voters between February 18 and 21, 2026, providing details of their polling locations. It emphasized that these messages were merely reminders to assist voters in locating their correct voting points.
Reaffirming its commitment to improving electoral service delivery, the commission advised voters to verify their polling unit details ahead of elections using its online Polling Unit Locator and, where possible, to visit their polling centres before election day to avoid unnecessary inconvenience.
Post comments (0)