INEC resolves to create additional voting units ahead of 2023 elections

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, yesterday disclosed that the commission had resolved to create additional voting units ahead of 2023 general elections.

Speaking at the technical session on the amendment of the Electoral Act  organized the by Joint National Assembly Committee on INEC, Mahmood said there was need to create additional pooling units in the country adding that the last time pooling units were created was in 1996.

He said: “We need to expand access of voters to pooling units. The last time pooling units were created was in 1996.”

At the event yesterday, the Attorney General of Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, failed to show up.

The joint panel had last week held a public hearing on the amendment of the Electoral Act.

The lawmakers proceeded with the amendment by holding Technical Committee with the INEC chairman, Mahmood.

But neither Malami nor his representative was anywhere to be seen when the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya and other members of the committee introduced themselves.

The chairman however asked the committee secretariat to contact the Office of the Attorney General of Federation (OAGF) over his absence at the meetings.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Joint Session, Senator Gaya, said the committee received a total number of 35 submission and several other presentations including the presentation of Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

He added that part of the submission of stakeholders are Diaspora voting, full biometric for accreditation, electronic voting and electronic transmission of vote results, reduction on the cost conducting elections, electronic accreditation, continuous registration of voters and improvement of election administration.