Gombe gets 770 additional polling units
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
No fewer than 770 polling units are to be created in the existing 2,218 electoral mapping currently existing in Gombe State, says Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking during the weekend, at stakeholders meeting on expansion of voter access to polling unit in the state, Umar Ibrahim, Resident Electoral Commissioner INEC in Gombe, said the increment would bring the total of polling units in the state to 2,988.
Ibrahim described the move as timely as the commission plans to roll out Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in June, adding that until now the commission had been using the polling unit structure that was created in 1996 hence the need for embarking on the expansion exercise.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner said, “Field officers have gone round the Local Government Areas and visited every new proposed location and captured the required information using GPRS.
“Each polling units will accommodate 500 to 700 voters and priority attention was given to new settlements.
“The commission adhered strictly to the provision of the guidelines given to them by the headquarters, to improve service delivery. This will bring the total of polling units in the state to 2,988.”
While assessing the challenges from past exercises, Ibrahim added, “Some of the challenges witnessed in polling units during the exercise includes growth in voter population, congestion at polling units, thereby affecting people’s health and safety.”
On his part, Gombe state Commissioner of police, Ishola Babaita, while assuring of police cooperation, he called on the general public to support this move in a civil way when the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) commences.
