AS the voting process begins within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some residents are struggling to identify their Polling Units (PUs) after receiving text messages from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moving them to different units.
Some residents of Life Berger in Abuja explained that the situation was worsened by late arrival of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who would have made the identification process easier.
At 8:30 AM on Saturday February 25, INEC officials were yet to arrive in at least five of six polling units located by the Life Camp Mosque gate and The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).
Speaking to The ICIR, some voters expressed concerns over the late arrival of officials.
“I was relocated from my usual polling unit at the first gate, 002 to 031. I’m not sure where it is. I’ve written my name on a piece of paper, but I have not seen any INEC official to confirm that this is my polling unit,” a voter, Peace Ameh, told The ICIR.
Another voter, Christian Osakwe said he was worried that voters might be inadvertently disenfranchised due to the new polling units created.
“This new polling units were intended to limit the time people spend on queues. That is what is in the message sent to us. But I’m afraid it might disenfranchise many people.
“The other polling unit I was in, officials have come. We have about eight polling units in this streets. Only one set of officials have shown up. People are getting impatient. They might get tired and leave,” he said.
At the Bwari Area Council of the FCT, residents were also worried over late arrival of INEC officials.
At the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) in Bwari, residents were seen on a queue, waiting patiently, for the arrival of INEC staff.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.