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An official document obtained by SaharaReporters shows that the commission created the 453 additional polling units.
An INEC source who spoke to SaharaReporters, citing official documentary evidence, disclosed that the additional polling units were created without public disclosure, while the commission continues to publicly maintain that Nigeria has 176,846 polling units.
According to the document, Delta State now has 6,316 polling units, up from 5,863 during the last general elections, bringing the total number of polling units nationwide to 177,299.
Sources, who are familiar with the development, also told SaharaReporters that some senior officials and staff of the commission were unaware of the exercise.
The discovery raises fresh questions about INEC’s management of the country’s electoral infrastructure, particularly amid unresolved concerns over suspected AI-generated photographs and questionable entries in its preliminary Register of Voters.
According to one of the sources, the development raises serious concerns about the administration of the electoral process, particularly at a time when INEC is already facing scrutiny over irregularities in its preliminary register of voters.
“Even more troubling is that some senior officials and staff of the Commission are unaware of the exercise, while INEC continues to state publicly that the country had 176,846 polling units,” the source said.
“This raises serious questions about institutional accountability, administrative transparency and the Commission’s commitment to conducting credible elections.”
The source told SaharaReporters that the documents point to the creation of 453 additional polling units, adding that the commission must explain when they were established, where they are located and the basis for their creation.
The source questioned why such a significant electoral exercise was conducted without informing relevant stakeholders or making the details publicly available.
Although INEC has the statutory authority to establish adequate polling units in electoral wards and allocate voters to them under Section 40 of the Electoral Act 2022, the source argued that the power must be exercised transparently and in accordance with established procedures.
Section 40(2) of the Act provides that the commission shall establish adequate polling units in each registration area or electoral ward and allocate voters to them.
However, the source maintained that the commission’s statutory powers do not justify making consequential changes to the country’s electoral infrastructure without public accountability.
The source noted that polling unit creation has significant political, geographical, social and cultural implications, warning that unexplained changes could generate communal tensions and disputes over electoral arrangements.
“The exercise of such powers must be guided by objective criteria, transparent procedures, demographic considerations and meaningful engagement with relevant stakeholders,” the source said.
“Polling unit creation is not a routine bureaucratic exercise, it has significant political, geographical, social and cultural implications, with the potential to provoke communal tensions and electoral disputes.”
INEC Previously Consulted Stakeholders Before Creating 56,872 Polling Units
One of the sources also questioned the apparent departure from the process adopted by INEC in 2021, when the commission announced the creation of 56,872 additional polling units, increasing the national total from 119,974 to 176,846.
At the time, INEC said the exercise followed extensive consultations with stakeholders and technical assessments across the country.
In its June 16, 2021 announcement, the commission said the additional units were created by converting existing voting points and voting point settlements into full-fledged polling units.
INEC Chairman at the time, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said the exercise followed “wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders and fieldwork by our officials.”
The commission’s 2023 general election report also documented that the expansion followed consultations with relevant stakeholders and extensive fieldwork by its officials.
The INEC source questioned why the commission appeared to have abandoned the consultation and transparency principles it previously presented as central to polling unit expansion.
“Indeed, INEC’s own records identify transparency, accountability, equity and inclusivity as guiding principles of polling-unit expansion. What has changed that makes consultation and public accountability apparently dispensable today?” the source asked.
The source also warned against confusing the restoration of previously suppressed state constituencies with the creation of additional polling units, describing them as two separate electoral and administrative exercises.
According to the source, the restored constituencies already have existing polling units established before the 2023 general elections.
The source argued that their restoration should be addressed through appropriate boundary delineation and adjustments to existing electoral arrangements, rather than being used to justify the creation of additional polling units without publicly disclosed locations, codes, demographic considerations or administrative approvals.
It further maintained that the restoration of constituencies does not automatically create a legal or administrative requirement for additional polling units.
INEC Asked To Publish Details Of 453 Units
One of the sources who spoke to SaharaReporters called on INEC to immediately publish comprehensive details of the 453 alleged additional polling units, including their locations, identification codes, wards, local government areas and dates of creation.
The source also demanded disclosure of the demographic considerations behind the exercise, the officials who approved it and the administrative documents authorising the creation of the units.
The source further called for the commission to disclose whether consultations were conducted with political parties, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders before the exercise.
“Any unexplained alteration to this infrastructure, particularly in the run-up to a general election, is bound to invite legitimate suspicion when Al-generated registered voters have dented the credibility of the Joash Amupitan-led commission,” the source said.
“INEC cannot reasonably expect public confidence while keeping consequential administrative decisions beyond public scrutiny.
“INEC must therefore immediately publish the particulars of the these 453 secret polling units, including their locations, codes, wards, local government areas, dates of creation, demographic justification and the administrative approvals underpinning the exercise.”
“It must equally disclose the consultations, if any, undertaken with political parties, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders,” the source added.
According to the source, the commission must establish whether the additional units exist, when they were created and the electoral purpose they are intended to serve.
The source warned that keeping the details from public scrutiny could further undermine confidence in the electoral body, particularly as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
“With the 2027 general elections approaching, the Commission must understand that electoral credibility cannot be manufactured through press statements or institutional assurances. It is earned through openness, consistency, impartiality and strict adherence to the law,” one of the sources said.
“INEC must come clean. Democracy cannot be administered through secrecy, and an electoral umpire that expects Nigerians to trust its processes must first demonstrate that it is prepared to be held accountable for its decisions.”
The latest allegation comes amid growing concerns over the credibility of INEC’s voter registration process following the discovery of photographs suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence on multiple voter profiles on the commission’s website.
However, efforts by SaharaReporters to reach Dayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, and Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, were unsuccessful, as neither responded to phone calls or a text message seeking comment.
As SaharaReporters reported on October 27, INEC acknowledged concerns over the suspicious photographs, saying it had commenced a review of affected records and was investigating possible technical or procedural lapses.
In a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC said the preliminary register was undergoing review and that corrective action would be taken based on verified findings.
“The Commission is also examining the circumstances surrounding the suspicious photographs, including possible technical or procedural lapses, and will take appropriate action based on verified findings,” the commission said.
INEC also clarified that the online publication of the preliminary register did not reflect all ongoing data-cleanup activities, adding that the final certified Register of Voters was scheduled for December 15, 2026.
The commission has also announced plans to deploy artificial intelligence tools for result verification and cybersecurity ahead of the 2027 elections, a development that has attracted criticism from political stakeholders.
The allegation concerning the 453 additional polling units raises a separate question about the transparency of the commission’s administrative decisions and the accuracy of the publicly available information on the country’s electoral infrastructure.
With Nigeria’s 2027 general elections approaching, the INEC source insisted that the commission must explain the alleged exercise and make the relevant records available to the public.
The source warned that electoral credibility depends not only on assurances from the commission but also on openness about decisions that could affect voter access, electoral boundaries and the conduct of elections.
SOURCE: SAHARA REPORTERS
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