2026: INEC urges security agencies to redouble efforts amid increasing electoral activities

*Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, charged Nigerian security agencies to significantly scale planning, intelligence gathering, deployment and inter-agency coordination amid an intense electoral cycle ahead of 2027 General Elections

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has charged Nigerian security agencies to significantly scale up planning, intelligence gathering, deployment and inter-agency coordination as Nigeria enters an intense electoral cycle ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

Amupitan noted this Friday, February 6, 2026, at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for 2026 in the Commission’s Conference Room, in Abuja, FCT.

Describing 2026 as a “very busy electoral year”, the Chairman of INEC said the Commission would be conducting a wide range of electoral activities, including Area Council elections, bye-elections, and off-cycle governorship elections, all of which demand heightened security preparedness.

Amupitan also stated: “This reality places a greater burden on our collective shoulders.”

He equally emphasised that elections could only be credible when voters, election personnel and materials are adequately protected.

Reflecting on the last Anambra State Governorship Election held November 8, 2025, Prof. Amupitan commended security agencies for their professionalism and dedication.

According to him, despite the South-East state’s history of election-related security challenges, INEC conducted the gubernatorial election in a peaceful atmosphere.

He disclosed the effective deployment of security personnel, proactive intelligence coordination and firm response to threats made it possible for the Commission to declare a winner on the first ballot, an outcome he described as a clear departure from past experiences in the state.

The INEC Chairman said attention had then shifted to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election, scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The Commission revealed the upcoming FCT Area Council Election involves 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils.

As campaigns draw to a close Thursday, 19th February 19 this year, Amupitan urged security agencies to ensure strict enforcement of the law, prevent the use of political thugs, curb vote buying, and guarantee the safety of voters, as well as election personnel on Election Day.

The Commission, the Chairman of INEC has concluded major preparatory activities, including the batching and delivery of non-sensitive materials to the Area Councils, as well as the training of Electoral Officers and Election Security Personnel, stated he.

Amupitan said the training of ad-hoc staff, which commenced February 6, would end February 15, 2026, while BVAS devices were being configured and sensitive materials would be delivered under secure conditions.

He further announced that INEC would conduct a mock accreditation exercise Saturday, February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils.

According to him, details of the polling units would be published on the Commission’s Web site.

The Chairman, nonetheless, said that no level of administrative preparedness could substitute for effective security coordination, particularly in identified flashpoints.

On other elections scheduled for the same day as the FCT polls, Prof. Amupitan said bye-elections would hold in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and seamless inter-agency cooperation.

Looking ahead, he disclosed that the Ekiti State Governorship Election would hold June 20, 2026, while Osun State would go to the polls August 8, 2026, with preparatory activities already underway.

Early security planning is critical to preventing avoidable challenges and ensuring peaceful elections in both states, said he.

As part of preparations for the 2027 General Elections, therefore, the INEC Chairman also announced that the Commission would soon embark on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise to further sanitise the national register, alongside the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.

Both activities would require robust security support, he noted.

Speaking on behalf of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Co-Chair of ICCES, Mr. Hassan Abdullahi, Director of Internal Security, Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), congratulated INEC and security agencies on the successful conduct of the Anambra governorship election.

He described the development as a positive benchmark for future polls.

He said the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, was already mobilising resources to ensure peaceful conduct of the FCT Area Council elections, bye-elections in Rivers and Kano States, as well as upcoming off-cycle governorship elections.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), 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.

Egbetokun assured that adequate security would continue to be provided for INEC personnel, facilities and materials across the West African country.

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

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