Maduako Igbokwe l Tuesday, May 11, 2021
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has disclosed that it would relocate 1112 Polling Units {PUS} in Shrines ,Royal father Houses ,Churches ,House of political office holders and others in the state.
This was made known on Monday by Anambra State Resident Electoral Commission REC Mr. Mkpachukwu Orji during a Stakeholders Forum on Expansion of Voters Access to Polling Units in Anambra, held in Awka , the state capital . According to him, such polling units situated in inappropriate places hinder voters access to voting during elections .
“Those polling units in such inappropriate places are not good for our elections. Most time, people see them as personal polling units .We want to make the polling units accessible to all voters ” he said .
Orji said that the commission will also increase the polling units in the state from 4,608 to 5,720 to give access to more voters. He also regretted that less than 30 percent of registered voters in the state did cast their votes in the last general election .
He called on stakeholders in the state to mobilise voters to actively participate in the forthcoming governorship election in the state. He also disclosed that voters registration in the state would commence on 28th of June 2021 to get those who were not eligible last time but eligible now to participate in the election .
Commending the commission for expanding the electoral access , chairman of Anambra state People’s Democratic Party PDP Chief Ndubisi Nwobu and Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Political Matters Mr. Ifatu Obiokoye regretted that INEC took such decision without seeking inputs from the stakeholders in the state .
They said that if the INEC had consulted them before taking such decision of relocating and increasing the numbers of polling units ,they would have made useful inputs since they are the people on ground .
The duo called on the umpire to make available to them the new polling units and the ones to be relocated to enable them study and make necessary suggestions and inputs for a seamless election .
