2027: INEC fears poll disruption in insecure areas

By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns that insecurity could disrupt or prevent the conduct of the 2027 general elections in some parts of the country. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, expressed the concern on Tuesday in Gombe while addressing participants at the North-East Zonal Interactive Staff Meeting and Operational Readiness Assessment for the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan described insecurity in some parts of the country as a major challenge to the conduct of credible elections, calling for urgent and coordinated action by security agencies to protect the electoral process. He said he would engage the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Army Staff and other senior security officials upon his return to Abuja to discuss measures to address the threats and create a safer environment for the elections.

The INEC chairman said the commission would adopt a proactive approach to electoral security rather than wait for threats to escalate before responding. He added that INEC was strengthening collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces and other relevant agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

According to him, the collaboration is designed to improve intelligence-sharing, security coordination and operational preparedness ahead of the 2027 polls. The concerns come as INEC intensifies preparations for the elections, with insecurity posing potential risks to the movement of electoral personnel, distribution of sensitive election materials and participation of voters in affected communities.

Amupitan stressed that sustained cooperation between electoral authorities and security agencies would be critical to ensuring that Nigerians could exercise their democratic rights without fear or intimidation. He said early intervention, effective deployment of security personnel and a coordinated response to security threats were necessary to prevent insecurity from undermining the credibility, inclusiveness and peaceful conduct of the 2027 general elections.