The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially debunked speculations regarding the recent FCT Area Council elections, clarifying that the splitting of polling units took place in February 2022 rather than in 2026 as currently rumored.
This clarification was issued on Tuesday in a formal statement signed by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Josiah Amupitan.
The Commission categorically dismissed claims that voters were migrated shortly before the February 21 polls, maintaining that no voter redistribution occurred within the 2026 calendar year.
While INEC acknowledged that the election was conducted successfully, it noted that some voters faced challenges in identifying their designated stations on election day, leading to the current public discourse.
Detailing the technical history of the transition, the Commission explained that under its “Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units” initiative, over 56,000 additional units were created nationwide in 2022.
This expansion increased the national total from 119,972 to over 176,000 units. To populate these new locations many of which initially had no registered voters, the Commission migrated 6.7 million voters from approximately 12,000 congested units to roughly 17,000 less-crowded points across the federation.
Specifically within the Federal Capital Territory, 411 polling units were decongested, resulting in the redistribution of approximately 580,000 voters across 1,156 units.
The statement further elaborated that split polling units are essentially additional voting points and BVAS devices deployed to streamline accreditation in large units exceeding 1,250 registered voters.
These auxiliary points are typically situated within the same premises or just a few meters from the original location to enhance orderliness and reduce overcrowding without altering a voter’s official registration status.
Despite these measures, INEC observed during a mock election in the FCT that many individuals migrated in 2022 remained unaware of their new stations.
In response, the Commission deployed a series of targeted text messages and emails between Wednesday, February 18, and Saturday, February 21, 2026.
These notifications were intended solely as reminders to assist voters in locating their designated points ahead of the Area Council polls.
Reaffirming its commitment to electoral transparency, the Commission urged the public to utilize the online Polling Unit Locator and recommended that voters verify their locations in person prior to future election days to avoid administrative inconveniences.