Elections: INEC creates additional 1,765 Polling Units in Niger State
Abdul Mohammed Isa, Niger State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Niger State, North-Central Nigeria, has created additional 1,765 polling units in preparation for the 2023 General Elections in the Country.
The new Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Ahmed Yusha’u Garki, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday in Minna, the Niger State capital.
The Resident Commissioner, who further said the new polling units was to improve the electoral process for better service delivery to the electorates.
“The new 1,765 Polling Units were added to the initial 3,185 polling units to give the 4,950 polling units,” he said.
Alhaji Garki, who further reiterated the INEC’s commitment to conducting free and fair elections in the State, added that other areas improved upon by the commission were new technologies such as Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voters’ identification and authentication, INEC result-viewing (IReV) portal and transmission of election results.
The Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner urged political parties, the Media and Civil Societies in the state to persuade the public to collect their voter registration cards.
“The national display of the preliminary register of voters is currently ongoing to allow for claims and objections.
“The permanent voters Cards (PVCs) are lying at our Local Government Areas offices,” said the REC.
Mallam Yusha’u Garki further said the commission has also concluded plans to relocate Internally Displaced Persons’ camps to their respective areas before the commencement of the general elections.
He, however, cautioned political parties against vote-buying, hate speeches and other related issues during electioneering campaigns and the General Elections, as these are against the ethics of the INEC.
Abdullahi Jabi, a member of a Civil Society organization in Niger State, lauded the meeting with the new INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, saying the interface will give more confidence to the stakeholders in the State.
Representatives of security agencies and political parties, Coordinator of the National Human Agency in Niger State and members of Civil Rights Organizations attended the event.
