INEC Suspends Creation of Additional 30,000 Polling Units

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it has resolved to put on hold the proposed creation of additional 30000 polling units across the country until after the 2015 general elections.
The commission took the decision at a meeting after reviewing reports from its Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) over the reconfiguration of polling units at its headquarters in Abuja.
There had been calls on INEC to suspend the creation of the new polling units, largely on grounds that the commission allocated more units to northern part of the country than the south.
Senate committee on INEC, headed by Senator Andy Uba had called on electoral body to suspend the new polling units due to what it described as the controversy it generated over allocation arrangement.
The Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA), led by Chief Edwin Clark also described the allocation pattern as to be more of a “political conspiracy by INEC against southern Nigeria” and called for its suspension forthwith.
In consideration of this opposition to the new units, INEC said it was suspending the creation ahead of the general election in 2015.
INEC, in a statement signed by its secretary, Augusta Ogakwu said the suspension of the new polling units was premised on the level of controversy it generated in the country.
The statement said INEC had “reviewed reports sent in from States by Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on reconfiguration of the polling unit structure and creation of additional polling units.
“Taking everything into consideration - espe-cially the controversy over creation of additional polling units that has been overheating the polity, and the apparent inadequacy of time for the exercise - the Commission took a decision to suspend the exercise until after the 2015 general elections.”
 The commission however stated that it will continue with “the use of Voting Points, where necessary, to mitigate population pressure in overcrowded polling units during the forthcoming elections.”
 INEC added that polling units at certain locations that do not suit the conduct of election would be relocated.
The electoral body also assured that polling units would as much as possible be henceforth located in enclosures like class rooms, instead of open spaces

Source: DailyTrust