THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that no voter migration took place in 2026, following concerns raised over difficulties experienced by some voters during the February 21 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a press statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, and signed by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, the Commission said that claims suggesting voters were moved to new polling units shortly before the election are inaccurate.
INEC noted that while the Area Council election was conducted successfully, it observed that some voters had trouble locating their designated polling units on Election Day.
However, the Commission categorically stated that no fresh migration of voters occurred in 2026.
“The split polling units referenced in recent discussions were created in February 2022 and not in 2026,” the statement read.
INEC explained that under its “Expansion of Voters’ Access to Polling Units” initiative in 2022, over 56,000 additional polling units were created nationwide. This increased the total number of polling units across the country from 119,972 to more than 176,000.
To populate the newly established units, many of which initially had zero registered voters, the Commission migrated 6.7 million voters from about 12,000 congested polling units to approximately 17,000 less congested units nationwide.
In the FCT specifically, 411 polling units were decongested, resulting in the redistribution of about 580,000 voters across 1,156 polling units.
INEC stressed that this redistribution exercise was carried out in 2022 and not in connection with the 2026 Area Council election.
The Commission further clarified that split polling units are additional voting points created within the same premises as existing polling units. They are deployed primarily in polling units with more than 1,250 registered voters.
The objective, INEC said, is to enhance orderliness, reduce overcrowding and speed up voter accreditation and voting processes through additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
“These split units are located only a few metres away from the original polling units and remain within the same premises,” the Commission explained.
INEC emphasised that splitting polling units does not alter a voter’s registration status, but simply redistributes voters administratively within the same location.
According to the statement, during a mock election conducted in the FCT, the Commission discovered that some voters who were migrated in 2022 were still unsure of their designated polling units.
To address this, INEC sent targeted text messages and emails to affected voters on February 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2026, indicating their polling unit locations.
The Commission clarified that these notifications were reminders intended to assist voters and not evidence of fresh migration.
To further assist voters, INEC urged citizens to utilise its online Polling Unit Locator platform, which allows voters to confirm their polling units by selecting their state, Local Government Area, Registration Area (Ward) and polling unit.
The Commission also encouraged voters to verify their details ahead of elections and, where possible, physically visit their polling locations prior to Election Day to avoid inconvenience.
Reaffirming its commitment to improving electoral service delivery, INEC urged voters to take advantage of available verification platforms to ensure smoother participation in future elections.