The Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers has clarified the expansion of access to polling units before the 2023 general election.

In a statement on Thursday, Obo Effanga, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers, disclosed that INEC was currently holding national consultations with various stakeholders on expanding access to polling units and decongesting existing ones clustered in the same location.

“INEC in Rivers is constrained to make this clarification so that no unscrupulous person takes advantage of innocent members of the public to claim ability to attract influence, create or expand access to polling units anywhere.”

“These processes will be comprehensive enough to take care of the interest of all voters and communities,” he said.

Mr. Effanga assured voters that there were plans by the commission to convert the existing voting points and voting point settlements in the country into fully-fledged polling units.

He explained, “The plan is to expand access to polling units and decongest existing polling units clustered in the same location.

“It is, therefore, unnecessary for citizens and communities to send unsolicited requests for the creation of polling units to INEC, because the commission, as custodian of the data of all registered voters, already knows the locations of the voters and polling units that have passed the threshold for expansion.

(NAN)