Chuks Okocha in Abuja
There are indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may approve up to 176,996 polling centres across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of the ongoing expansion and verification of polling centres ahead of the 2023 general election.
But the adjustments of the lower and upper thresholds for voting points, according to INEC, would be from 750 and 1000, to 500 and 750.
The implication is that INEC would be creating additional 57,023 polling units nationwide, although the breakdown is not known yet.
A memo dated April 20, 2021 was said to have backed the development. The document with reference number INEC/DE/No:72/2021 and titled: “Decision Extraction on the Amendment of the Threshold for the Conversion of Voting Points to Polling Units,” reads in part: “The Commission at its meeting held on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, deliberated on the above subject and approved as follows: The adjustment of the lower and upper thresholds for Voting Points from 750 and 1000 to 500 and 750, respectively