HeadlineSenate Directs Jega To Halt Creation Of Additional 30,000 Polling Units

Senate Directs Jega To Halt Creation Of Additional 30,000 Polling Units

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SAN FRANCISCO, September 30, (THEWILL) – The Senate on Tuesday directed the National Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, to immediately halt his plan to create additional 30,000 new polling units.

Senate’s action, which also contained a stern warning, came against the backdrop of the raging controversy surrounding INEC’s plan.

INEC had recently announced plans to create the additional 30,000 polling units, which it said would help de-congest over-populated voting centres. But the move generated controversy as politicians from the Southern part of the country alleged that the arrangement was done to favour the North.

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Nonetheless, INEC chairman Professor Jega, who appeared before the Senate Committee on INEC last week insisted that the exercise was not done to favour any candidate, political party, or section of the country, adding that some people did not understand the rationale behind the additional polling units.

However Chairman Senate Committee on INEC, Andy Uba( Anambra PDP), while addressing Senate Correspondents immediately after plenary session on Tuesday, warned INEC to stop creating additional polling on the grounds that the timing is wrong.

He also cautioned that if INEC goes ahead with the plan, the Senate will have no choice but to pass a resolution on the matter.

Senator Uba however advised INEC to educate the voters before thinking of creating additional polling units, saying more units at this juncture will create logistic problems.

“We have sent a letter to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and we expressed our reservations over the planned creation of additional polling units across the country.

“What he is doing is good but the timing is wrong. We are close to an election year and we have so many displaced people in the North eastern part of the country. So where will the INEC put the new polling units.?

“Wuse 2, where they have 4,000 registered voters, now you know the inconvenience coming in, 4,000 people standing in line; it is not possible for you to be accredited and then start voting, many people will come and turn back but it is a good idea but the timing is wrong that is all we are saying.

“Nobody is saying what they did was wrong and some people are saying there is ulterior motive, there is no ulterior motives in it, that is not the issue.”

The Senator warned that “If they continue with it, we will pass our resolutions, it is simple, and once we pass our resolution, will he go ahead ? there are consequences when you say you don’t care, that is what it is, but I know he is a gentle man and he is a man that keep to his words.”

Uba also said: “We had a meeting and sent him a letter, he should know , his integrity from what people are saying he is plotting , that is not our business. And I don’t believe that there is nothing he has in mind against anybody or anything but all I am saying is that and all we are saying is that the timing is wrong.

It requires time to educate people to let them know. But it is a good idea because it will decongest these Polling Units, 500 each, it makes things work faster, when you come in, you will get accredited and you will vote and go but when you have 4,000, that is a problem. So, I pray that as we have been working together, we will continue to work together.”

On electoral act amendment he said: “We are working on it and I am sure the deputy senate president who is the Chairman of that said that by the time we come back we should be able to finish what we are doing.”

EMMA UCHE, ABUJA.

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