The Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) for Wuse Zone 3, Mr. Mohammed Jabo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve its Electronic Facility Locator to make it easier to identify polling units.
Speaking exclusively to Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Jabo decried the challenges experienced with the locator system, noting that it malfunctioned in some areas.
According to him, the glitch led ad hoc staff to move around without successfully locating certain polling units, thereby delaying the commencement of voting.
He explained that he received multiple calls from staff who were unable to find their assigned polling units, particularly newer ones.
“They have been calling me more than three times while I was on my way. I also encountered challenges at other polling units. Some of these polling units are new, especially those around Ademola and Adetokunbo, so I had to sort them out before proceeding to this particular polling unit. That is why I did not arrive on time,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the delayed start and its impact on voters, Mr. Jabo assured that no one would be disenfranchised.
“In as much as voters are on the queue before 2:30 p.m, whoever is the last person on the queue at that time must cast their vote. Even if voting extends to 6:00 p.m, they will be allowed to vote. Nobody is going to be disenfranchised,” he stated.