By Chuks Okocha
The pan-northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to convert existing voting points and voting point settlements into polling units (PUs) as an immediate measure to decongest and expand voters’ access to polling units.
But the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, said though the commission has powers to create new polling stations, it must not be by administrative fiat.
He explained that in a democracy, there is always need to carry everybody along through consultations, stating that it is in carrying everyone along that controversies are avoided.
The Secretary-General of the ACF, Murtala Aliyu (Mutawallen Gombe), made this known yesterday following a presentation by the INEC chairman.
The ACF members were unanimous that the commission should use its powers in Section 42 of the Electoral Act (as amended) to create polling units.
Yakubu, while disagreeing to create polling units through administrative fiat, pointed out that even though the National Assembly has the power to make laws, it still holds public hearings.
He argued that creating polling units in the past by fiat and without sufficient consultations resulted in crisis and controversies which the commission wants to avoid.
According to the INEC chairman, “This is a democracy. And there is a place for consultation in a democracy.”
Yakubu disclosed that the commission had received more than 9,000 requests across the country by communities for the creation of polling units.
He emphasised, however, that the requests were unsolicited and that they would not form the basis for the creation of PU.
The INEC chairman said the commission would hold similar consultations with socio-cultural organisations such as the Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo to get their inputs.
The presentation which took place at the ACF headquarters in Kaduna, coincided with its (ACF) statutory meeting.
