Make Voting Units Accessible To Voters, Yiaga Africa Urges INEC
To forestall future logistical challenge on election Day, Yiaga Africa has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to revisit the expansion of voters access to polling units.
Addressing newsmen in Osogbo on Yiaga Africa pre-election observation, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa Samson Itodo noted that the creation would help to achieve the desired outcome of the creation of new polling units adding that oversized polling units may pose a logistical challenge on election day.
According to him, their findings revealed that 246 polling units have over 1000 registered voters, eight polling units have over 2000 registered voters and One polling unit has over 3,000 Registered voters.
On the preparedness for the July 16 election, Itodo said Yiaga Africa will deploy 500 stationary observers to a representative statistical sample of 250 polling units and 32 mobile observers located in all 30 LGAs of Osun state.
He disclosed further that Yiaga Africa will also deploy 30 collation centre observers to each of the LGA Collation Centers. “The sampled polling units were determined by established statistical principles to ensure the resulting information is representative of the state and unbiased.
“The PVT sample of polling units was drawn according to well-established statistical principles and is truly representative of all of the polling units because the percentage of sampled polling units for each LGA is similar to the percentage of all polling units for each LGA. Over the course of Election Day, Yiaga Africa’s data centre in Osun will receive 4,500 text messages containing approximately 54,500 individual pieces of information about the 2022 Osun governorship election.
“Once the text messages are received at Yiaga Africa’s data centre, they will be processed and reviewed to ensure the information is complete, authentic and accurate.
The Executive Director said with a different political and security terrain, the Osun governorship election will test the resolve of election stakeholders, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to conduct credible, transparent, inclusive, peaceful and conclusive elections amidst a tense atmosphere.
Itodo stressed that being the last major election before the 2023 general elections, the July 16 polls is an opportunity for INEC to build citizens’ confidence and gain the trust of Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Yiaga Africa urged the commission not to overestimate its capacity nor underestimate potential challenges that could undermine the election.
He urged Osun electorate to come out in large numbers to elect their preferred candidate.
ENDS
