By George Mgbeleke

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for heightened security coordination and vigilance as Nigeria enters a busy electoral season leading up to the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for 2026, held on Friday at the INEC Conference Room in Abuja, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the rising tempo of electoral activities places increased responsibility on security agencies to ensure peaceful, credible and violence-free elections.

Professor Amupitan noted that 2026 would be particularly demanding, with Area Council elections, bye-elections and off-cycle governorship elections scheduled across several states. He stressed that effective planning, intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and professional deployment of personnel were critical to securing the electoral process.

The INEC Chairman commended security agencies for their role in the successful conduct of the Anambra State off-cycle Governorship Election held on 8 November 2025, describing the peaceful outcome as a testament to their professionalism and dedication. He said the ability of the Commission to declare a winner on the first ballot, despite the state’s history of election-related security challenges, underscored the importance of proactive and coordinated security operations.

Ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026, Professor Amupitan disclosed that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to vote across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils. He said INEC had concluded major preparations, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of Electoral Officers and election security personnel, and commencement of ad-hoc staff training.

He added that a mock accreditation exercise would be conducted on Saturday, 7 February 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the FCT, while sensitive materials would be delivered under strict security arrangements. However, he cautioned that administrative readiness alone was not enough, urging security agencies to maintain constant communication and rapid response, especially in flashpoint areas.

The INEC Chairman also reminded the meeting that bye-elections would hold the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State, further underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and adequate manpower deployment.

Looking ahead, Professor Amupitan said preparations were already underway for the Ekiti State Governorship Election on 20 June 2026 and the Osun State Governorship Election on 8 August 2026, stressing that early security planning was essential to preventing avoidable challenges.

He further disclosed that INEC would soon embark on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise, alongside ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, noting that both exercises would require robust security support to protect facilities, personnel and citizens.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Co-Chair of ICCES, the Director of Internal Security at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Hassan Abdullahi, congratulated INEC and security agencies on the successful Anambra governorship election. He said the outcome reflected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to free, credible and violence-free elections.

Abdullahi assured that the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, in collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies, was mobilising resources to secure the forthcoming FCT Area Council elections and bye-elections in Kano and Rivers States. He said adequate personnel would be deployed to polling units and high-risk areas, while political thugs, vote buyers and individuals with violent tendencies would be identified, restrained or prosecuted in accordance with the law.

He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully, warning that any acts capable of undermining the electoral process would be dealt with decisively. He also called on the media, civil society organisations, community leaders and citizens to actively support peaceful elections as a shared national responsibility.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Elections, CP Abayomi Shogunle, reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to massive deployment for all elections nationwide, assuring that adequate security would continue to be provided for INEC personnel, facilities and materials across the country.

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by INEC and security agencies to sustained collaboration, vigilance and professionalism in securing Nigeria’s electoral process throughout the demanding 2026 electoral calendar.

By David Owei, Bayelsa
Governor Ademola Adeleke has warned against spillover of banditry and kidnapping from Kwara state into Osun, urging the police to immediately lift ban on Amotekun operations to combat the emerging threats.

Responding to another case of kidnapping at Ora Igbomina area, the Governor said the state is handicapped in its security response as the Amotekun service has remained sealed by the police with her top officers in detention without trial for several months.

The governor posited that the Amotekun service had developed the containment expertise especially in the rural border areas, submitting that the police’s shutting down of the service operations has created a big gap being exploited by bandits and criminals.

Governor Adeleke who called on the Inspector General of Police to charge those detained to court and unseal the service stated that further delay may endanger the rural population and open the state to further criminal infiltration.

“I am taking this matter to the public domain in view of another kidnapping at Ora Igbomina. Closing down Amotekun exposes Osun people to serious risks. I call on the Inspector General of Police to unseal Amotekun and allow its operatives to secure my people across the grassroots.

“Those officers in detention should be charged to court after several months of incarceration. Any further delay in the unsealing of Amotekun will further jeopardise the safety and security of our people”, the Governor was quoted as saying after a closed door security meeting.

By George Mgbeleke
Ahead of 2027 general elections,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has completed work on the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election.

Making this declaration in Abuja on Wednesday,during an engagement with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, reaffirmed the Commission’s its readiness to conduct a credible poll despite delays in the amendment of the Electoral Act at the National Assembly.

According to him, the Commission has already forwarded its recommendations on the proposed Electoral Act amendments to lawmakers and is currently awaiting legislative action. He noted, however, that the timing of the amendment could influence certain aspects of the election schedule.

Prof. Amupitan explained that while the timetable has been finalized, some outlined activities may require adjustments depending on when the National Assembly concludes work on the amended law

He added,”Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers the Commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date of the poll. While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the Commission has made its submission as required. We are mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable and wish to assure political parties and the Nigerian public that the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election has been finalised in full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Having said that, we seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.”

He emphasized that INEC remains committed to delivering a transparent and credible election and will continue to operate within the provisions of the existing legal framework until any new amendments are passed and signed into law.

The development, he said, underscores the Commission’s proactive planning approach ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle

On Voter Revalidation, Amupitan noted that a credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections.

“No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register. Nigeria’s national register, first compiled ahead of the 2011 General Election, has since been continuously updated and deployed in the General Elections of 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as in several off-cycle governorship and bye-elections. As of the 2023 General Election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters.

“However, persistent challenges —including duplicate registrations, under-age registration, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate records— continue to generate legitimate concerns. Such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process.”

He noted in response the need to give the electorate the opportunity to participateat the 2027 election, the Commission will embark on a thorough clean-up with a view to further sanitising and strengthening the integrity of the register.

Accordingly, the Commission will be embarking on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.

On the Commission’s preparedness for the conduct of FCT area council elections in February 21st, Prof Amupitan disclosed that , “non-sensitive materials have been delivered and are being batched at each Area Council. Recruitment of Ad Hoc personnel have been concluded and their training began on 2nd February 2026.

“While Election Security Personnel have been trained, Supervising Presiding Officers (SPOs), Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) are currently undergoing training. Furthermore, BVAS devices are being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal, and sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election. There will be a mock accreditation on Saturday, 7th February 2026, in 289 selected Polling Units (PUs) across the six Area Councils.

” The selected PUs will be made available on the Commission’s website. While INEC has deployed specialised resources and targeted sensitisation programmes to empower voters with disabilities and ensure inclusivity, 83 domestic and five foreign observers have been accredited for the polls.”