INEC: 242 Polling Units with 142,261 Registered Voters Under Security Threat in Katsina

•Displays preliminary PVCs for public scrutiny Nov 12 to 18

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Chuks Okocha in Katsina
 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, disclosed that 242 polling units with some 142,261 registered voters in 10 Local Government Areas of Katsina State, were under serious security threat.

The Commission’s Head of the Department of Electoral Operation in the state, Husseni Jaafar, who revealed this at a stakeholders’ meeting, said the polling units may be affected in the forthcoming general election.

He said, “We have 242 polling units in 10 security-prone local government areas of Katsina State with 142,261 registered voters. Before, there were 13 local government areas that were under security threat.

“But in an attempt to ensure that all elections are held in all polling units of the state, every month we sit with all the electorate officers of the LGAs after they have consultation with security officers and critical stakeholders in their respective local governments and discuss the prevailing situation.

“As we keep on reviewing the situation based on the reports we received from the electoral officers, presently, we have only 10 local governments that we now confirm have security challenges that we can not hold elections there.

“But all the same, nobody can say what will happen in these 10 local governments tomorrow, and despite the fact that we have this problem the commission is still working within the electoral law to come up with another plan that will enable all eligible voters to vote.”

He said the electoral umpire, has directed all the electoral officers of the affected local governments to liaise with security agencies, traditional and religious leaders in order to propose a safer place that would enable the commission to relocate the affected voters to cast their vote.

Furthermore, he added that INEC has inaugurated a committee with a template under his leadership that would continue reviewing the security situation of the affected 242 polling units in the 10 local governments to ensure that all eligible voters in the state exercise their franchise in the forthcoming 2023 polls.

Meanwhile, INEC has said from Saturday November 12 to 18, it it would commence the  display of preliminary Permanent Voters Register for public scrutiny.

INEC said the preliminary voter register would be displayed in all registration areas, wards, local government areas for claims and objections.

The display would also take place at INEC official website, assuring the people that the commission would address all claims and objection from the public.

The report said from Saturday 19 to 25 at the INEC local government areas for claims and objection will also commence attending to Nigerians on claims and objection.

The public is urged to check all incorrect names and details of their particulars, including spellings of their names and file their complaints where necessary.

At its third quarterly meeting with political parties, last week, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said, the number of Nigerians that would vote at next year’s general election was 93,522,272