Our Reporter, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday clarified that the split polling units referenced in recent discussions about the February 21 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were created in February 2022 and not in 2026.
In a press statement issued on February 24, 2026, and signed by its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, the Commission dismissed claims that voters were migrated to new polling units shortly before the 2026 election.
INEC stated that while the February 21 Area Council election was conducted successfully, it observed that some voters experienced difficulties locating their designated polling units on Election Day. However, it categorically denied carrying out any voter migration in 2026.
The Commission explained that under its Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units initiative in 2022, over 56,000 additional polling units were created nationwide, increasing the total number from 119,972 to more than 176,000.
To populate the newly created units—many of which initially had zero registered voters—about 6.7 million voters were redistributed from approximately 12,000 congested polling units to about 17,000 less congested units across the country.
In the FCT, INEC said 411 polling units were decongested, with about 580,000 voters redistributed to 1,156 polling units.
The Commission stressed that no fresh migration exercise was undertaken in 2026, noting that the split polling units currently being discussed were established in 2022 as part of efforts to enhance voter access and efficiency.
INEC defined split polling units as additional voting points and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices deployed in large polling units with more than 1,250 registered voters. According to the Commission, the split units are located only a few metres away from the original polling units and remain within the same premises to ease accreditation, reduce overcrowding and fast-track voting.
It further clarified that the splitting of polling units did not affect voters’ registration status but merely redistributed voters within the same location for administrative efficiency.
INEC disclosed that during a mock election conducted in the FCT, it discovered that some voters who were migrated in 2022 were still encountering difficulties identifying their polling units. To address the challenge, the Commission said it sent text messages and emails to affected voters between February 18 and 21, 2026, indicating the locations of their polling units. The notifications, it said, were intended solely as reminders.
The Commission encouraged voters to verify their polling details ahead of elections using its online Polling Unit Locator available at cvr.inecnigeria.org/pu. It also advised voters, where possible, to physically visit their polling locations prior to Election Day to avoid inconvenience.
INEC reiterated its commitment to improving electoral service delivery and urged voters to utilise all available verification platforms.
