‘Some new polling units have zero voters’ — INEC laments poor turnout for CVR in Katsina

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says some newly registered polling units in Katsina state have not recorded any registered voter.

In July 2021, INEC upgraded 1,750 voting points to polling units in Katsina state.

Speaking in an interview with NAN on Friday, Jibril Zarewa, resident electoral commissioner (REC) in the state, said there has been low turnout for the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise across more than 60 percent of the new polling units.

He, however, said one of the reasons for the poor turnout could be the suspension of telecommunication services in some LGAs of the state due to insecurity.

“In May 2022, when we did analysis, we realised that out of the 1,750 newly established polling units, about 1,200 units did not have more than 50 people who registered in each of them,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“This registration involved transfers. Some of the polling units have zero registration; some have only one; some five, while some have not more than 50 people who registered.

“Although this can be attributed to the suspension of telecommunication networks in 17 of the 34 LGAs for about five months due to the security problem.

“Since the resumption of the exercise in March, out of the 1,750 polling units created, about 1,200 don’t have up to 50 people that registered in each of them.

“We are appealing to the people of those areas where the new polling units were created, to go and register, as INEC is always ready for them.”

Zarewa said initially, there were 4,902 polling units in Katsina, but with the creation of new ones, there are now 6,652 polling units in the state.

“The reasons for the creation of additional polling units is to serve the areas and decongest the congested polling units,” he added.