The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that election materials would not be deployed in 86 polling units out of the total 5,720 polling units in the State for the November 6 Governorship Election in Anambra State.
INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu stated this while addressing a special consultative meeting of Chairmen and leaders of political parties held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
He said the affected polling units were part of the 1,112 new units created when INEC converted some voting points into polling units, noting that the units also had no voters from the recent Continues Voters Registration CVR exercise. .
“The Anambra Governorship election will be the first that voting is taking place in polling units since the recent successful conversion of voting points arising from the expansion of voter access to polling units in Nigeria. An additional 1,112 polling units were established in Anambra State in addition to the existing 4,608 locations. This brings the total number of polling units in the State to 5,720.
“Voters were encouraged to seize the opportunity of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to transfer to the new polling units most convenient for them.”
The INEC Chairman explained that perhaps owing to the security situation in Anambra State, voters did not take advantage of the new polling units by transferring their card there to ease access to polling units.
He also disclosed that about 894 polling units were found to
have between 1-49 voters, adding that election materials would be deployed in those units and voting as well as results collated.
He urged the political parties to ensure that their agents monitor the release of sensitive materials from the Central Bank in Awka, as he observed that one political party failed to nominate polling agent for the election even though it has a governorship candidate.
Source: The Independent