19th February, 2021
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers, on Thursday, provided clarification on the expansion of access to polling units before the 2023 general election.
Mr Obo Effanga, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, gave the clarification in a statement issued by the Public Affairs Officer, Mrs Geraldine Ekelemu to newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Effanga stated that the commission was currently holding national consultations with various stakeholders on expanding access to polling units and decongesting existing ones clustered in the same location.
He further said that the commission would later hold similar consultations at the state and local government levels, on modalities and parameters for relocating some of the voting points.
“These processes will be comprehensive enough to take care of the interest of all voters and communities,” he said.
Effanga assured voters in the state that there were plans by the commission to convert the existing voting points and voting point settlements in the country, into fully-fledged polling units.
“The plan is to expand access to polling units and decongest existing polling units clustered in the same location.
“It is, therefore, unnecessary for citizens and communities to send unsolicited requests for the creation of polling units to INEC, because the commission, as custodian of the data of all registered voters, already knows the locations of the voters and polling units that have passed the threshold for expansion.
“INEC in Rivers is constrained to make this clarification so that no unscrupulous person takes advantage of innocent members of the public to claim ability to attract influence, create or expand access to polling units anywhere,” Effanga said.