INEC moves to protect election staff from threats

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has announced the shift from reactive interventions on election day to an intelligence-led security framework designed to protect voters, staff and election materials ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Prof. Amupitan disclosed this in Gombe on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, declaring open the North East zonal interactive meeting with staff and assessment of preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

He said the Commission’s collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and other paramilitary agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) had been fundamentally restructured.

According to him, the new framework, which the Commission calls the “ICCES tentacle,” extends interagency security coordination from national and state headquarters directly to the most remote local government areas and registration area centers.

The President explained to those present that no election, no matter how well administratively planned, could be deemed credible if voters, election staff and observers operate under physical threat or fear of violence.

He explained that the framework is based on three pillars, the first of which is “Map and Mitigate”. Under this pillar, the Commission will use Election Risk Management (ERM) tools to promptly identify security hotspots, seasonal threat factors and local vulnerabilities. This, he said, would allow security agencies to take proactive measures long before the ballots arrive.

The second pillar, “Ensuring Security”, provides a protective umbrella over all election personnel, technological resources, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and server infrastructure, and most importantly, the voter.

The third pillar, “Ensuring Access”, aims to ensure that each of the 176,846 polling units nationwide remains a safe, peaceful and dignified space for the exercise of democratic rights, regardless of geographical remoteness or historical security challenges.

The prof. Amupitan said collaboration between security agencies has already produced concrete results. He revealed that joint operations led by the DSS recently uncovered a secret plot by criminal bosses targeting the Commission’s ad hoc staff and members of the Youth Corps.

It said a rapid, intelligence-led intervention neutralized the threat and that the main orchestrators had been arrested and are currently facing prosecution.

“Let me send a clear message from Gombe,” the President said, warning that anyone who attempts to threaten, intimidate or harm ad hoc staff, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or permanent staff of the Commission will be hunted down and brought to justice under the full weight of the law.

He further disclosed that the Commission will shortly convene a national conference on election security in Abuja, where state-specific security protocols for high-risk areas will be finalised.

Prof Amupitan recognized that the North East presents distinct operational challenges, including vast desert terrains, riverine stretches along the Benue Valley, remote farming communities and vast landmasses. He noted, however, that the area has demonstrated remarkable resilience and civic resolve.

The area has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51% of the national register of over 103 million. Bauchi State has the highest number with 3,012,547 voters, followed by Borno with 2,765,165, Adamawa with 2,431,146, Taraba with 2,254,380, Gombe with 1,768,566 and Yobe with 1,733,671.

The President said the 2027 general elections will be a simultaneous national undertaking across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the elections for Governor and state Houses of Assembly will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2027.

He assured staff and stakeholders in the North East that INEC is not working in isolation, describing security as “the bedrock of electoral integrity”.

“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is much stronger,” he said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Host Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Gombe State, Alhaji Umar Muktar Gajiram, on behalf of all RECs in the North East, warmly welcomed the Honorable President, National Commissioners and Electoral Officers of Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe.

The host REC described the President’s visit to Gombe as historic, timely and as a huge morale booster for staff who are at the forefront of constitutional democracy. He noted that Gombe, as the geographical center of the North East with 1,768,566 voters, 11 LGAs and 3,311 polling units, is strategically positioned for the engagement.

He assured the President that the North East zone is fully prepared, loyal and committed to ensuring that no voter of the 13.96 million in the zone is deprived of their right to vote and that all directives on display of electoral rolls, logistical audit and technology testing will be carried out to the letter.