Dodoma. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has nullified 10 wards and relocated 292 polling stations as part of administrative boundary adjustments announced by the government earlier this month.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, October 12, 2025 by INEC Chairperson Justice Jacobs Mwambegele, the decision follows the abolition of several areas previously hosting polling stations, leading to the reassignment of voters to new locations.
Justice Mwambegele said the commission’s move aligns with Government Notice No. 596 of October 3, 2025, in which the Minister for Home Affairs declared Ulyankulu in Kaliua District (Tabora Region), Katumba in Mpanda District (Katavi Region) and Mishamo in Tanganyika District (Katavi Region) as designated refugee settlements.
He further noted that under Government Notice No. 600 of October 3, 2025, the Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) announced administrative boundary changes that abolished the wards of Litapunga, Kanoge, Katumba, Mishamo, Ilangu, Bulamata, and Ipwaga, as well as Milambo, Igombenkulu, and Kanindo.
As a result, seven councillor candidates from the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) who had been nominated to contest in the affected wards have been disqualified from the October elections.
Those disqualified are Elius Elia (Katumba), Salehe Msompola (Kanoge), Mohamed Asenga (Litapunga), Nicas Nibengo (Bulamata), Sadick Mathew (Ilangu), Rehan Sekota (Ipwaga), and Juma Kansimba (Mishamo).
Justice Mwambegele said the commission reached the decision during its meeting on October 6, 2025, after reviewing the government notices, and subsequently issued official resolutions through Government Notice No. 604 of October 10, 2025.
“The commission has formally nullified the 10 abolished wards from the list of electoral areas for the 2025 councillor elections and revoked the nominations of seven candidates who had been selected in those wards,” he said.
He added that for Milambo, Igombenkulu, and Kanindo wards in Kaliua District, no election processes had yet been conducted.
Justice Mwambegele also said INEC, in consultation with local government authorities, has established new polling centres near the areas where voters were relocated. The number of new centres matches the 292 polling stations that were nullified to ensure that all eligible voters can access polling stations conveniently.
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