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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has expressed deep security concerns ahead of next year’s general elections, seeking the collaboration of security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force.
Chairman of the commission, Joash Ojo Amupitan, in underscoring the critical role of security in the successful conduct of elections, described it as both the “first mile and last mile” of the electoral process.
Amupitan expressed the concern during a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to formally sought the support and collaboration of the elite security agency ahead of the 2027 general polls.
He described as a security trigger the release of the election timetable and the ongoing political party activities, including ward congresses and conventions, which signal the full activation of the electoral process.
Commenting on the longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s electoral system, Amupitan identified issues such as electoral malpractices, vote trading, and threats of violence as factors that undermine public confidence and pose risks to national security.
While congratulating the IGP on his recent appointment, the electoral umpire boss expressed confidence in his leadership, stressing that his experience would strengthen efforts toward ensuring a safe and secure electoral environment.
“We are confident that your vast experience and dedication will greatly enhance our collective efforts towards ensuring a safe and secure electoral process,” he noted.
Amupitan further informed the police leadership that the commission has commenced preparations for the 2027 general elections, scheduled for January 16, 2027, for the Presidential and National Assembly polls, and February 6, 2027, for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
According to him, political parties are expected to conduct their primaries in line with Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, which permits only direct primaries and consensus for candidate nominations.
He equally drew his attention to upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as a series of bye-elections across the country, describing them as critical milestones in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“These elections are crucial milestones in Nigeria’s democratic journey, and it is imperative that they are conducted peacefully and seamlessly,” he said.
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He stressed the need for proactive security measures, including comprehensive risk assessments to identify potential flashpoints and deploy appropriate mitigation strategies.
“The scale of insecurity across various parts of the country presents a threat to the conduct of free and fair elections. It is essential that we carry out thorough security risk analyses ahead of the elections,” he stated.
He acknowledged police as the lead agency in election security, pledging the commission’s full cooperation and emphasising the importance of intelligence sharing, strategic planning, and community engagement.
The electoral umpire boss further highlighted the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), describing it as the “heartbeat” of operational safety during elections.
“Our success depends on ICCES moving from reactive policing to proactive intelligence coordination,” he said, adding that all stakeholders must ensure an unified, multi-agency approach to protecting electoral personnel, materials, and voters.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to working closely with the police and other security agencies to deliver peaceful, credible, and transparent elections that reflect the will of the Nigerian people.
In his response to the concerns and requests raised by INEC Chairman, IGP Disu, assured the commission of the preparedness of the police to provide a secure environment for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
He said the Police, as the lead agency in election security management, would discharge its responsibilities with professionalism, impartiality and strict adherence to the Constitution, the Electoral Act and other extant laws.
The IGP stated that the Force had already begun strategic threat assessments and intelligence mapping nationwide to identify flashpoints and emerging security risks ahead of the elections. According to him, issues such as political violence, the proliferation of illegal arms, voter intimidation, cyber manipulation, misinformation, and attacks on electoral infrastructure had been identified as priority concerns requiring proactive attention. He added that intelligence-led deployments and preventive policing strategies would be adopted to neutralize threats before they escalate.
Mr. Disu also assured the Commission of adequate security for electoral officials, sensitive materials, collation centres and other critical electoral infrastructure throughout the electoral process. He stressed that no political party, candidate or interest group would enjoy preferential treatment from the Police, warning that officers found engaging in partisan conduct or unethical practices would face disciplinary and legal consequences. “We will ensure that we enforce electoral laws firmly and we will do it professionally,” the IGP said.
The Police boss further called for early release and wide dissemination of the election timetable to support effective planning, logistics coordination, personnel training and inter-agency collaboration. He advocated stronger cooperation among security agencies through joint training, intelligence sharing and harmonised communication strategies, while also revealing plans to engage political parties through peace accords and stakeholder seminars aimed at promoting peaceful conduct before, during and after the elections.
He added that officers selected for election duties would undergo intensive training on electoral security management, human rights compliance, rules of engagement, crowd control and ethical conduct.
