TheCable

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it had concluded arrangements to remove polling units from private establishments and residential buildings in Katsina state.

Abubakar Wara, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), disclosed this at a special stakeholders meeting.

‘’The commission decided to take the decision in line with the best international practice that private buildings or residents should not be used for the conduct of election,” he told NAN.

He decried the current situation where elections are conducted in both public and private buildings, residences and open spaces.

The commissioner said INEC had decided that elections be conducted openly in public buildings, to conform with the international best practice and ensure neutrality.

He said the commission was compelled to take the decision to provide atmosphere conducive for election, especially ahead of the 2015 general election.

Wara said the commission, in collaboration with the office of the surveyor-general of the federation, had produced a map showing locations of new communities not catered for by polling units.

Noting that the commission had created 1,173 new polling units in the state, to cater for such communities, the commissioner said that the state now had 6,075 polling units from the previous figure of 4,902 polling centres.

He said that INEC would soon start distributing permanent voter cards and urged youths that had attained 18 years to register for the 2015 elections.