By Our Reporter
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has announced a shift from reactive, election-day deployments to an intelligence-led security framework designed to protect voters, personnel and electoral materials ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed this in Gombe on Tuesday 27th October, 2026, while declaring open the North-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
He said the Commission's collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Armed Forces 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 terms the "ICCES Tentacle," extends inter-agency security coordination from national and state headquarters directly down to the most remote Local Government Areas and Registration Area Centres.
The Chairman told the gathering that no election, regardless of how well planned administratively, could be deemed credible if voters, election personnel and observers operate under physical threat or fear of violence.
He explained that the framework rests on three pillars, the first being "Map and Mitigate." Under this pillar, the Commission will use Electoral Risk Management (ERM) tools to identify security flashpoints, seasonal threat factors and local vulnerabilities early. This, he said, would allow security agencies to deploy proactive measures long before ballot papers arrive.
The second pillar, "Ensure Safety," provides a protective umbrella over all electoral personnel, technological assets, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and server infrastructure, and, most importantly, the voter.
The third pillar, "Guarantee Access," is aimed at ensuring 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.
Prof. Amupitan said the collaboration among security agencies had already produced concrete results. He disclosed that joint operations led by the DSS recently uncovered a covert plot by criminal kingpins targeting the Commission's ad-hoc staff and Youth Corps members.
He said swift, intelligence-led intervention neutralised the threat, and that the principal orchestrators were arrested and are currently undergoing prosecution.
"Let me send a clear message from Gombe," the Chairman said, warning that anyone who attempts to threaten, intimidate or harm ad-hoc staff, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members or permanent personnel of the Commission would be hunted down and brought to justice under the full weight of the law.
He further disclosed that the Commission would shortly convene a National Election Security Conference in Abuja, where state-specific security protocols for high-risk zones would be finalised.
Prof. Amupitan acknowledged that the North-East presents distinct operational challenges, including vast desert terrains, riverine stretches along the Benue trough, remote agrarian communities and expansive landmasses. He noted, however, that the zone had demonstrated remarkable resilience and civic determination.
The zone has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent 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 Chairman said the 2027 General Election would be a simultaneous national undertaking across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The Presidential and National Assembly Elections are scheduled for Saturday, 16th January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027.
He assured staff and stakeholders across the North-East that INEC was not working in isolation, describing security as "the bedrock of electoral integrity."
"Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is far stronger," he said.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the host Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Gombe State, Alh Umar Muktar Gajiram on behalf of all North-East RECs, warmly welcomed the Honourable Chairman, National Commissioners, and Electoral Officers from Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe.
The host REC described the Chairman's visit to Gombe as historic, timely and a huge morale booster for staff who are at the frontline of constitutional democracy. He noted that Gombe as the geographical centre 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 Chairman that the North-East zone is fully prepared, loyal and committed to ensuring that not a single voter out of the 13.96 million in the zone is disenfranchised, and that all directives on voter register display, logistics audit and technological testing will be executed to the letter.
PROF. AMUPITAN: AFRICA IS WATCHING NIGERIA'S 2027 ELECTION, WHICH MUST FURTHER UNITE THE COUNTRY
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has said the 2027 general election must be one that further unites Nigeria, noting that other countries and traditional kingdoms across Africa are looking to Nigeria to get it right.
Prof. Amupitan stated this on Monday 26th October 2026, when he led a delegation of the commission on a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gombe, HRH Dr. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, CFR, at his palace, during a readiness assessment visit to Gombe State.
He said that as the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria had a responsibility to ensure that the election was successful, adding that a properly conducted election could serve as a source of national unity and national development.
"The weight of election is heavy," the chairman said. "We want this 2027 election to be very unique, an election that will further unite Nigeria."
According to him, many countries and traditional kingdoms in Africa are looking up to Nigeria, which makes it necessary for the country to cultivate the wisdom of its royal fathers to deliver a credible process.
Prof. Amupitan explained that the commission had started its readiness assessment in the South-West, moved to the North-West and the South-East, and had now arrived in the North-East.
He said that in each zone, INEC first sought the blessings and support of traditional rulers before commencing any activity, describing the royal fathers as custodians of the people's culture whose role in the success of the election could not be underestimated.
The chairman said Gombe was chosen ahead of other states in the region because of the strategic weight of the North-East in the electoral process.
He disclosed that the zone registered about 19.396 million voters, representing about 13.51 per cent of registered voters nationwide. "Whatever happens in Nigeria, Gombe State is very crucial, and so also the North-East," he said.
Prof. Amupitan urged the Emir to help mobilise residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), stressing that collecting the card was not a favour to the electorate but a prerequisite for voting.
He also confirmed that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on 16 January 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would take place on 6 February 2027.
The chairman told the Emir that INEC had concluded work on the voters' register, and that distribution of PVCs was ongoing.
He added that accreditation of voters and upload of results would be conducted through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and that recruitment of ad hoc staff had begun through an online portal open to qualified Nigerians, including citizens of the Gombe Emirate.
Prof. Amupitan acknowledged the challenge of insecurity, saying INEC was working with the police, which he described as the lead agency, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the service chiefs and other paramilitary organisations to protect voters and electoral infrastructure.
He appealed to the Emir to use his influence to urge political leaders, whom he described as the traditional ruler's children, to conduct their campaigns peacefully.
"We are all your children," he said. "There must always be a Nigeria."
The chairman also asked the Emir to help educate citizens on the dangers of misinformation and disinformation, which he said were often used to cause confusion before, during and after elections.
He urged residents to verify every piece of news before it could cause panic.
Prof. Amupitan assured the Emir and the people of Gombe State that under his watch, INEC would remain an impartial umpire.
"We are no candidate of our own, but we will do everything possible to conduct a free, fair, inclusive and credible election come 2027," he said.
In his response, the Emir welcomed the INEC chairman and his team, describing the visit as timely, and assured the commission of the support of the traditional institution in Gombe and the wider North-East in a non-partisan manner.
He acknowledged the enormous responsibility entrusted to INEC in safeguarding Nigeria's democratic process, noting that credible elections required careful planning, professionalism, impartiality, transparency and public cooperation.
The Emir also pledged support for efforts to discourage electoral violence, inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation, while encouraging citizens to participate peacefully in the democratic process.
Earlier, the chairman led National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from across the North-East zone and other senior officials of the commission to the INEC state office in Gombe, where he addressed staff.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Gombe State, Mukhtar Gajiram Umar, welcomed Prof. Amupitan and his delegation, describing the visit as an important opportunity to review preparations and strengthen the commission's work in the state.
Addressing the staff, Prof. Amupitan urged them to regard the assessment as a call to greater commitment, noting that the commission had limited time to prepare for the elections.
"The readiness assessment is to assess what we have on ground," he said.
He said ongoing renovations in Gombe and other local government areas were part of efforts to improve the commission's operational capacity and election logistics.
The chairman charged electoral officers to discharge their statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC's guidelines and regulations.
He also urged them to take public enlightenment seriously, particularly in local government areas, so that eligible Nigerians would not be discouraged from collecting their PVCs and participating in the electoral process.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that some non-sensitive election materials had already been received, while additional BVAS machines had been ordered, with delivery expected within the week.
He said the commission was also working on storage facilities for the equipment and had conducted an audit of existing BVAS machines nationwide following the challenges experienced during the 2023 general election.
According to him, technology will remain central to voter accreditation and the transmission of election results, and the commission is taking steps to strengthen its operational processes ahead of the Elections.
"This period, nobody goes on leave again," he told the staff. "You should commit your time to support your REC, your administrative secretary, your heads of department and the EOs to ensure that the election is seamless and very successful."
The chairman and his team also visited the commission's office in Gombe Local Government Area to assess its level of preparedness for the elections.
The delegation subsequently inspected the zonal store as part of efforts to evaluate the commission's facilities and logistical arrangements.
INEC MAKES PRELIMINARY REGISTER OF VOTERS AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made the Preliminary Register of Voters for the 2027 General Election available on its online platform, in addition to the physical display already conducted nationwide.
The Commission disclosed this in a press statement issued on Monday, 26th October 2026, and signed by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
According to the statement, the Register can be accessed at https://display.inecnigeria.org.
It explained that, in accordance with Section 19 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the Commission conducted the physical display of the Register at Registration Areas across the country from 9th to 15th October 2026. The exercise gave registered voters the opportunity to inspect their particulars and submit claims and objections as prescribed by law.
The Commission said it took note of concerns expressed by Nigerians and other stakeholders on the desirability of making the Register accessible online, in addition to the physical display.
It stated that the decision to publish the same Preliminary Register on its online platform was in furtherance of its commitment to transparency, accessibility and public confidence in the electoral process.
The Commission noted that the additional measure complements the physical display already undertaken and is intended to facilitate wider public access to the Register.
It added that it continues to process claims and objections arising from the exercise in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026, ahead of the certification and publication of the Final Register of Voters on 15th December 2026.
The Commission expressed appreciation for the continued interest and constructive engagement of Nigerians and stakeholders in the process.
It reiterated its commitment to transparency, accountability and the faithful implementation of the Electoral Act, 2026 in delivering credible elections. NNL.
