Jega: No sectional agenda in new polling units

Jega told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the distribution of the new polling units was scientifically done and had followed due process. He said there was no politics or regional sentiment in the process that led to the distribution of the new polling units.Jega stressed that the commission had no intention of reversing the already […]

Jega told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the distribution of the new polling units was scientifically done and had followed due process.
He said there was no politics or regional sentiment in the process that led to the distribution of the new polling units.
Jega stressed that the commission had no intention of reversing the already adopted decision.
The commission had recently announced the creation and distribution of additional 30,000 polling units across the states, increasing the total number to 150,000. Jega said the criticisms trailing the distribution of the polling units were “totally false” as the commission was equitable in allocating the new units to the all the 36 states and the FCT.
He said “all the hullabaloo” about the creation of the polling units were coming at the time the electoral body was even yet to practically create the new polling units at states, as it only adopted the framework of the distribution.
“INEC’s decision to re-configure the structure of polling units as well as create additional ones is driven by our collective aspirations as Nigerians to reform and improve upon the electoral process. There is no sectional or parochial agenda in this decision,” he said.
Jega explained that there had been a population rise of 60 percent in Nigeria since the first creation of 120,000 polling units in 1996, hence the need to create new ones.
There have been 17 states that “have at least over 30% of their polling units having more than 750 registered voters with some having 60% or 50% of the polling units affected. In FCT, for example in AMAC alone, APO Gwari resettlement Area, Asokoro New Extension, FCDA Quarters Area 3/CBN Quarters before Garki village, Games Village, and many others have no polling units,” he said.
According to him, some states are still having excess number of polling units, but the commission decided to ensure all the 36 states and FCT get “at least 121” new units.
A table of the distribution made available to newsmen by the commission showed six states with excess number of polling units, but were also awarded the 15 percent equality ratio. The states include Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Enugu and Osun.
“In fact, the Commission went on to give further relief to such states,” he said, “by providing that 15% of the 30,027 additional polling units be distributed equally across all states, including the states that had already exceeded their numbers…in order to carter for new settlements, due to demographic shifts”, Jega said.
He said the commission did not use the population size of states in the distribution, but decided to adopt the total number of registered voter of each state, of the 70, 383, 427 nationwide register as the most appropriate for the distribution.
“The simplest way to distribute the 150,000 polling units is to divide the number of registered voters in each state by 500 (maximum of registered per polling unit),” Jega said.