Splitting of polling units took place in 2022, says INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Tuesday that the splitting of polling units to allow for more voter participation was carried out in 2022 and not prior to the
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Tuesday that the splitting of polling units to allow for more voter participation was carried out in 2022 and not prior to the FCT Area Council elections.
In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, the Commission said no voter was migrated to other polling units during the FCT Area Council elections.
The statement reads, “Further to its statement issued on Sunday, 22nd February 2026, on the conduct of the February 21 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Commission provides the following additional clarification regarding the issue of split polling units.
“While the election was conducted successfully, the Commission observed that some voters experienced difficulties locating their designated polling units on Election Day.
“However, contrary to claims in some quarters that voters were migrated to new or different polling units shortly before the election, the Commission states categorically that no voter was migrated in 2026.
“Under its Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units initiative, the Commission created over 56,000 additional polling units nationwide in 2022, increasing the total number of polling units from 119,972 to over 176,000.
“In order to populate the newly created polling units, many of which had zero registered voters at the time, 6.7 million voters were migrated from about 12,000 congested polling units to approximately 17,000 less congested polling units across the country.
“In the FCT specifically, 411 polling units were decongested, with about 580,000 voters redistributed to 1,156 polling units.
“The Commission notes that no new voter migration was carried out in 2026. The split polling units referenced in recent discussions were created in February 2022 and not in 2026.
“For clarity, split polling units are additional voting points and BVAS devices deployed to ease voter accreditation and fast-track voting in large polling units with more than 1,250 registered voters.
“The objective is to enhance orderliness, reduce overcrowding, and improve the overall voting experience." These split units are located only a few metres away from the original polling units and remain within the same premises.
“To further assist voters, the Commission provides an online Polling Unit Locator available at https://cvr.inecnigeria.org/pu. The Polling Unit Locator enables voters to confirm their polling unit by selecting their State, Local Government Area, Registration Area (Ward), and Polling Unit.
“INEC further clarifies that the splitting of polling units did not alter voters’ registration status, but merely redistributed voters within the same location for administrative efficiency.
“However, the Commission observed during the mock election in the FCT that many voters who were migrated in 2022 were still experiencing difficulties locating their polling units, necessitating targeted intervention.
“Accordingly, text messages and emails were sent to affected voters on Wednesday, February 18th, Thursday, the 19th, Friday, the 20th, and Saturday, the 21st, 2026, indicating their polling unit locations. These notifications were intended solely as reminders to assist voters in identifying their designated voting points.
“The Commission encourages voters to verify their polling details ahead of elections and, where possible, physically visit their polling locations prior to Election Day.
“INEC reiterates its commitment to continuous improvement in electoral service delivery and urges voters to take advantage of all verification platforms provided to avoid unnecessary inconvenience.”
