The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that the split polling units observed during the February 21 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were created in February 2022, not in 2026.
In a statement issued Tuesday by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Josiah Amupitan, the commission dismissed claims that voters migrated shortly before the recent elections, stressing that no voter migration occurred in 2026.
INEC explained that under its Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units initiative, over 56,000 additional polling units were created nationwide in 2022, increasing the total from 119,972 to over 176,000. To populate these units, approximately 6.7 million voters were redistributed from congested polling units to less crowded ones. In the FCT, 411 units were decongested, with around 580,000 voters moved to 1,156 polling units.
The commission emphasized that split polling units are additional voting points deployed to ease accreditation and speed up voting in large units with more than 1,250 registered voters. These units are located within the same premises, just a few meters from the original units, and do not change voters’ registration status.
INEC also noted that during the FCT mock election, some voters still had difficulty locating their polling units, prompting the commission to send text messages and emails from February 18–21, 2026 as reminders.
The commission urged voters to verify polling details online using its Polling Unit Locator and, where possible, visit polling locations ahead of election day. INEC reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing orderliness, reducing overcrowding, and improving the overall voting experience.
