Residents protest over fictitious polling stations in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on P.M. News
More than 100 Warri South residents demonstrated outside the Nigerian electoral commission’s offices in Asaba, denouncing names, wards and polling stations they said were fictitious in the electoral register. The protesters are calling for these entries to be corrected before the next general elections, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
More than 100 Urhobo and Itsekiri residents of Warri South, in Nigeria’s Delta State, demonstrated on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Asaba, protesting the alleged presence of fictitious names, constituencies and polling stations in the local electoral structure, NAN reports.
The protesters say the latest list published by INEC includes names and addresses with no verifiable ancestral ties to the communities concerned, as well as constituency names that are unknown to them. Samuel Meyiwa, an Itsekiri representative who led the protest, called for the entries to be removed and for an agreement reached at previous meetings with stakeholders to be honoured. Eforele Marcus, an Urhobo representative, said the changes could reduce his group’s political representation.
The demonstration follows several public calls for clarification about Warri South’s electoral register, including allegations that fictitious polling stations had been created made on 30 October. On 2 November, two Nigerian groups called for explanations about anomalies in the register.
