The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, May 4, began a nationwide verification exercise for voting points, which have been marked for conversion to polling units. This is in furtherance of INEC’s expansion of voter access to polling units. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who visited some of the voting points and polling units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State, stated that the Commission’s officials were visiting States across the Federation, to ensure that the conversion is being carried out according to INEC’s guidelines.
The Commission has also commenced training its staff for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise set to begin on June 28, 2021. INEC had earlier released a timeline indicating that the expansion of voter access to polling units exercise will be concluded by May 11; the online CVR registration portal will be ready by May 15, while the new CVR registration devices are expected to arrive by May 31.
It will be recalled that INEC conducted a series of engagements with stakeholders to discuss the decongestion of polling units and the creation of new polling units, to cater to the teeming Nigerian population and to provide a conducive environment for citizens to exercise their franchise.