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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that changes to polling units in some states followed a court ruling that created new constituencies in Kogi, Benue and Delta states.
The explanation came amid reports that the number of polling units nationwide had increased from the officially stated 176,846 to 177,299, representing an additional 453 units.
The reported increase had raised concerns among electoral stakeholders, particularly over the transparency of the process and whether the affected changes were made without adequate public notice or consultation.
However, INEC Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, said the changes were linked to the creation of new constituencies arising from the court ruling.
Ifogah, who spoke during an interview with Trust TV on Wednesday, said the commission was not carrying out the exercise secretly, adding that INEC would provide a detailed explanation to stakeholders after completing its internal processes.
According to him, the creation of new constituencies would naturally have implications for the wards and polling units within the affected areas.
He said the commission needed to properly examine all aspects of the exercise before releasing the details publicly.
Ifogah suggested that information about the changes may have become public prematurely through an insider before INEC was ready to formally announce the development.
He also distinguished the current exercise from the 2020 polling unit expansion, when INEC converted existing voting points into standalone polling units to decongest overcrowded polling locations and improve access for voters.
He recalled that the 2020 exercise was designed to address polling units with large numbers of registered voters, although some voters later complained about being moved to new locations.
According to him, INEC nevertheless ensured that the new polling units were located within reasonable proximity to voters’ previous locations.
The commission has not yet specifically confirmed the reported figure of 453 additional polling units or released a state-by-state breakdown of the affected locations.
It is also yet to publish full details of the administrative process through which the reported changes were effected.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, particularly following concerns over questionable entries and photographs contained in the commission’s preliminary Register of Voters.
INEC had earlier acknowledged concerns over some voter photographs suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
In a statement issued on October 27 and signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC said it was reviewing the affected records and investigating possible technical or procedural lapses.
The commission is expected to provide further clarification on the polling unit changes as it concludes its internal review and consultations with relevant electoral stakeholders.
