In Defense of Inec by Abdul Jari

  The recent addition of thirty thousand polling units by INEC is a right step in the right direction. As Nigeria heads to its most heated election, all hands must be on deck, all necessary actions must be taken to ensure a free, fair and credible elections. In the addition, about twenty two thousand polling units were added to the North, while the South only received about eight thousand polling units.  The good and faithful decision of INEC did not go down well with some elements in Southern Nigeria. The Southern Peoples Assembly was quick to condemn the decision and threaten legal action against it.
  In my view, the addition of the polling units was a right move in the right direction and also at the right time. The following if sincerely and carefully considered, one will agree with INEC's decision;
  Firstly, the existing number of polling units are too short for the North. Northern Nigeria alone account for over 60 percent of Nigerias population. Due to that population, some polling units are having a lot of people, as such, some units have up to one thousand registered voters. Dala local government in Kano state is the most populated local government in Nigeria. Dala alone has over 1.9 million people. This kinds of local government needs addition polling units.
  Secondly, with the current crisis in the North east, a lot of people have been displaced. The displaced people are Nigerians and they have to exercise their franchise. In some towns like Bama, Konduga etc were the local government is ransacked, the people are now displaced all across Nigeria, especially Kano and in Abuja. The additional polling unit should be added where the displaced people are located.
  Lastly, out of the nine hundred and twenty thousand square kilometers of Nigeria, the North account for over 60 percent of the total land mass of Nigeria. Some states like Niger, Borno, Kaduna, Jos, Adamawa, and Nasarawa states are very large, therefore, the need for more addition polling units is required so that everybody can vote within the given available time. Niger and Borno state are larger then the South east. The need for more additional polling units is needed for people in those states.
   Nigerians must learn to have faith in their institutions. INEC is now headed by somebody credible. Politicizing every national decision because of cynical and sentiments are ill for Nigeria at the moment. Nigerians must unite to ensure a free, fair and credible elections in 2015

Comrade Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari
Usmanu danfodiyo university
Sokoto state of Nigeria
+2348035424321
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN