INEC creates 1,235 new polling units in Imo

1,235 polling units have been added by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure voters have access to voting during the electioneering period.

The latest addition brings the total number of polling units in the state to 4,758.

Resident Electoral Commissioner, Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, said in Owerri that the polling units were created with a threshold of 500 to 750 registered voters in each polling unit.

Under the new arrangement, Owerri municipality has 122 new polling unit, followed by Owerri West with 117 polling units.

Owerri North and Ikeduru local government areas came third and fourth with 91 and 80 polling units respectively while Aboh Mbaise has 79 new polling units.

Existing laws allow the elections regulator to convert existing voting point settlements to full-fledged voting units and relocate new or existing ones to place they are closer to voters and unserved areas, where necessary, reports Today.ng.

Ezeonu said that as far as practicable, polling units are to be located in public places, preferably centrally located and accessible, non-partisan, non-sectarian locations such as schools and town halls.

Provision, he said, was also made for spacious facilities to cater for adequately sitting election officers, political party agents, election observers and voters if necessary.

The commissioner reiterated that under no conditions were polling units located in private compounds, royal places, residents of government officials, political party buildings, worship centres or anywhere that could deny voters access, and disputed buildings or facilities.