The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under scrutiny following reports that it added 453 new polling units across Nigeria without informing the public ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to SaharaReporters, a document obtained by the publication shows that the commission increased the country’s polling units from 176,846 to 177,299. The report stated that Delta State now has 6,316 polling units, compared to the 5,863 recorded during the last general elections.
However, the development has raised questions about why the additional polling units were created without a public announcement or consultation with relevant stakeholders. An INEC source reportedly told SaharaReporters that the exercise was carried out without the knowledge of some senior officials and other staff members of the commission.
The source also expressed concern over the process, particularly because of the importance of polling units to the conduct of elections. Polling units determine where registered voters go to cast their ballots. Any changes to their number or location could affect how voters access polling centres during elections.
The source questioned why INEC did not follow the approach it adopted during its previous polling unit expansion in 2021. During that exercise, the commission announced plans to create 56,872 additional polling units after consultations and assessments across the country.
This increased the number of polling units from 119,974 to 176,846 ahead of the 2023 general elections. The source warned that making such changes without proper explanation could create confusion, trigger political disagreements and lead to disputes during the 2027 elections.
It consequently called on INEC to publish full details of the 453 additional polling units. The requested information includes their locations, identification numbers, wards and local government areas. It also called for clarification on the officials who approved the exercise and the reasons behind the decision.
The development comes amid existing concerns over INEC’s voter registration process. The commission had earlier acknowledged concerns about photographs suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence appearing on some voter profiles. It subsequently announced a review of affected records to identify possible technical or procedural errors.
INEC also stated that the final certified Register of Voters would be published on December 15, 2026. Meanwhile, SaharaReporters reported that it contacted INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and the commission’s Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, for comments.
However, both reportedly failed to respond to phone calls and text messages seeking clarification on the alleged creation of the additional polling units.
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With the 2027 general elections approaching, questions surrounding the expansion have brought renewed attention to the need for tranqsparency in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Elom Fortunate Chiemerie is junior staff at modern crux that covers news on international politics, sports news and entertainment News
