INEC plans to convert 753 voting points to polling units in Osun

Osun State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said the commission has concluded every necessary arrangement to convert the 753 voting points in the state into polling units before the next general election.

It hinted also that, henceforth, polling units will no longer be in front of private houses, palaces and religious institutions.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, who made this known in Osogbo, the state capital at the stakeholders meeting on the expansion of voters access to polling units, explained that the new created polling units will be ratified at the national headquarters after which an announcement will be made publicly.

“Officially, we are finishing this thing by this weekend. After this, stakeholders meetings we will start writing our report which by Monday next week, we are going to submit to the headquarters. The headquarters will receive from all the states and FCT, sit down and consider it before or immediately after the public holiday for the Ramadan festival and after that, the commission will announce publicly what we now have as our authentic polling units in Nigeria.”

He pointed out that polling units are central to the electoral process, and voter access to polling units is the core of democracy because it provides a platform for eligible voters to freely exercise their franchise.

“You will agree with me that the currently available polling units in Osun State are inadequate for the available voters as a result of population growth and establishment of a new settlement in many areas across the state. This inadequacy of polling units makes many of them overcrowded during elections leading to delays, disruption and violence in some cases.

“Because of inadequate polling units, many voters have to travel long distances to the polling units where they registered on election day because there are no polling units close to them in their area of residence. 

“There is also the issue of polling units located in places with difficult terrain that do not encourage some voters to participate during elections, particularly persons with disability and the elderly among others.

“To adequately address the issue of inadequate polling units and its attendant challenges, the commission embarked on expanding voter access to polling units in Nigeria between 21st and 29th April 2021 following wide consultation with key stakeholders.

“During the exercise, the commission deployed field officers that were earlier trained in the processes involved in the conduct of expanding voter access to polling units including the technical aspects and use of maps generated for the exercise by the commission.

“Osun has 3010 polling units and 753 voting points. The voting points that we have now, we are converting them to polling units in different areas and locations where we believed the people can have access to them.”

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Nigeria Is Where It Is Now Due To Leadership Of Family, Friends, Acquaintances Rather Than Ability To Deliver ― Jonathan

Former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has opined that Nigeria is where it is today because of leadership of family and friends, acquaintances rather than ability and capability to deliver.

I Slept With My 12-Yr-Old Daughter Because My Wife Is No Longer Attractive To Me, Man Tells Police

A 49-year-old man, Ubong Akpan, is now in net of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly having carnal knowledge of his 12-year-old daughter.

Cryptocurrency: Understanding The Craze, Threat

ON Friday, February 6, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rocked the boat with a circular that inadvertently highlighted how popular cryptocurrency transactions have become among Nigerians in recent years, judging by… 

After Two Years, Daddy Freeze Apologises To Bishop Oyedepo
Daddy Freeze whose real name is Ifedayo Olarinde has apologised to Bishop Oyedepo who is the presiding bishop and founder of Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel…