FCT Poll: There will be no election in 593 polling units – INEC

By Matthew Eloyi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has informed stakeholders that there would be no election in 593 polling units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections as preparations for the elections reach a climax.

This is due to the non-deployment of registered voters to the voting units in question, which span the FCT’s six council districts.

Elections would be held in 1,328 polling units with populations ranging from 0 to 50, as well as 546 polling units with more than 1,000 registered voters, according to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.

Yakubu disclosed this while making a presentation at the Federal Capital Territory Expanded Stakeholders Security meeting, put together by the FCT Administration.

Although the various political party candidates have been going about their campaigns, such will come to an end on February 10, while the elections proper would take place on February 12, 2022.

Yakubu explained that election materials will not be deployed to the affected areas, hence voters should not bother going to such places.

It would be recalled that INEC recently created additional polling units across the country, owing to logistic challenges identified during election days.

It was revealed that the majority of the voting population usually have challenges commuting to where their polling units are located, a situation that indirectly encouraged voter apathy.

Beyond this, INEC relocated some polling units, previously inside shrines and private residences of powerful individuals, to open locations as it was observed that such actions were aiding and abetting rigging and other vices during elections.

The INEC boss however assured that the affected polling units would be populated with voters before the 2023 general election.

“The support of the traditional, community and religious leaders would be required if we are to deliver on our goals,” Yakubu noted.