BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been asked to explain reported changes to Nigeria's polling-unit structure after allegations emerged that 453 additional units had been created without a formal public announcement or consultation with major electoral stakeholders.

The development has triggered questions about how the commission arrived at the new figure, the locations of the additional units and whether the necessary procedures were followed ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While INEC has consistently put Nigeria's total polling units at 176,846, reports have claimed that the figure has increased to 177,299, suggesting the addition of 453 units across the country.

The commission, however, has linked the reported adjustments in some states to a court ruling that resulted in the creation of new constituencies in Kogi, Benue and Delta states.

Speaking during an interview with Trust TV on Wednesday, INEC Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, said the changes were part of an exercise whose details would be communicated to stakeholders after the commission completed its internal processes.

He rejected suggestions that INEC was secretly creating polling units, although he indicated that information about the exercise might have reached the public prematurely through an internal leak.

Ifogah explained that the establishment of new constituencies following the court judgment would naturally require corresponding adjustments to existing wards and polling-unit arrangements in the affected areas.

He said the commission was taking time to review the exercise properly before releasing comprehensive information to the public.

The INEC official also clarified that the current adjustments should not be confused with the nationwide polling-unit expansion carried out in 2020.

During that exercise, the commission converted existing voting points into independent polling units to address overcrowding and make voting more convenient for Nigerians, particularly in areas with large numbers of registered voters.

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Although the expansion was intended to improve access to polling facilities, some voters complained about being reassigned to different locations. Ifogah maintained that INEC had ensured that the new locations were not excessively far from voters' previous polling centres.

However, his latest explanation did not establish whether the reported 453 additional units were accurate, nor did it provide a breakdown of the affected states and communities.

INEC has also yet to release comprehensive details showing where the alleged new polling units are situated or the administrative procedures followed in making the reported adjustments.

The development comes as the electoral commission faces increasing public attention over the integrity of its preparations for the 2027 elections.

Earlier concerns were raised over questionable entries and suspicious photographs appearing in INEC's preliminary Register of Voters, including images suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence.

In response, the commission acknowledged the concerns and announced a review of the affected records.

A statement issued on October 27 and signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of INEC's Information and Voter Education Committee, said the commission was investigating possible technical and procedural lapses associated with the questionable voter profiles.

With questions now emerging over the reported polling-unit adjustments, attention is turning to INEC's next explanation and whether it will publish the full details to address concerns about transparency before the 2027 general elections.