The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted claims that voters were relocated to new polling units ahead of the February 21, 2026 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), insisting that no voter migration occurred in 2026.
Opposition parties had linked low voter turnout and voter apathy to alleged last-minute changes in polling unit locations, claiming the adjustments disenfranchised residents who could not find their voting centres.
However, INEC clarified that the split polling units referenced were part of its nationwide polling unit expansion carried out in February 2022 — not a recent development.
According to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, the creation of additional polling units was implemented under the 2022 Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units initiative.
The exercise saw over 56,000 new polling units established across Nigeria, increasing the national total from 119,972 to more than 176,000.
To address congestion, 6.7 million voters were redistributed from approximately 12,000 overcrowded polling units to about 17,000 less congested centres nationwide. In the FCT specifically, 411 polling units were decongested, with roughly 580,000 voters reassigned within the same premises to 1,156 polling units.
INEC emphasized that the 2022 polling unit split aimed to reduce overcrowding, enhance orderliness, and improve voter accreditation using the BVAS system.
The commission stressed that the administrative adjustment did not alter voter registration status or move voters outside their original polling locations.
“No new voter migration was conducted in 2026,” INEC stated, noting that the split units are located only a few metres from the original polling points.
The commission acknowledged that some voters experienced difficulty locating their designated polling centres but said notifications were sent via SMS and email between February 18 and 21, 2026.
INEC encouraged voters to verify polling unit details ahead of elections to prevent confusion and reaffirmed its commitment to improving Nigeria’s electoral process and voter experience.
