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By Tracy Moses
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has warned that elections conducted without adequate security inevitably lose credibility, stressing that voters must feel safe for the democratic process to be meaningful, inclusive and trustworthy.
Amupitan gave the warning on Friday in Abuja while speaking at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for 2026, held at the INEC Conference Room.
According to him, public confidence in elections is directly tied to the level of security provided before, during and after polls, noting that fear, intimidation and violence significantly undermine democratic participation.
“Public confidence in elections is largely determined by how safe citizens feel to come out and vote. Without adequate security, the credibility of any election is fundamentally threatened,” the INEC chairman said.
He explained that the increasing tempo of electoral activities ahead of the 2027 General Election places greater responsibility on security agencies to intensify planning, intelligence gathering, personnel deployment and inter-agency coordination to safeguard the electoral process.
Amupitan noted that elections scheduled for 2026 include Area Council elections, bye-elections and off-cycle governorship polls, warning that credible elections cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of fear or insecurity. “We are entering a very busy electoral year.
These elections will test our preparedness, and security agencies must rise to the challenge by being proactive, professional and coordinated,” he said.
The INEC boss commended security agencies for their professionalism during the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election held on November 8, 2025, describing the peaceful conduct of the poll as a sharp departure from the state’s history of election-related security challenges.
He attributed the success of the election to effective deployment of personnel, proactive intelligence sharing and timely responses to emerging threats, noting that the ability of INEC to declare a winner on the first ballot would not have been possible without the dedication of security personnel who protected voters, election officials, materials and critical infrastructure.
On ongoing electoral activities, Amupitan disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections would hold on Saturday, February 21, 2026, involving 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils.
He stressed that security agencies must strictly enforce electoral laws, particularly as campaigns end on February 19, to prevent the use of political thugs, curb vote-buying and ensure the safety of voters and election personnel on Election Day.
“Security agencies must ensure strict compliance with the law, especially during the campaign-free period and on Election Day. There must be no room for intimidation, violence or electoral malpractice,” he said.
The INEC chairman said the Commission has concluded major preparations for the polls, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials to Area Councils and the training of Electoral Officers and Election Security Personnel.
He added that the training of ad-hoc staff commenced on February 6 and would end on February 15, while BVAS devices are currently being configured ahead of the election. A mock accreditation exercise, he said, would be conducted on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils.
However, Amupitan emphasised that administrative readiness alone was insufficient without strong security coordination, urging agencies to maintain constant communication, rapid response mechanisms and professionalism, particularly in flashpoint areas.
He further disclosed that bye-elections would be conducted on the same day as the FCT polls in the Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State, noting that simultaneous elections across multiple states require heightened vigilance.
Looking ahead, he revealed that the Ekiti State governorship election is scheduled for June 20, 2026, while Osun State will hold its governorship poll on August 8, 2026, adding that early security planning is already underway to prevent avoidable challenges.
Amupitan also announced plans by INEC to conduct a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election, alongside the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, stressing that both exercises would require strong security support, especially in areas prone to disruption.
Meanwhile, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has commended INEC and security agencies for the successful conduct of the Anambra governorship election, describing the exercise as a benchmark for credible and violence-free polls in Nigeria.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the National Security Adviser at the ICCES meeting, the Director of Internal Security, Office of the NSA, Hassan Abdullahi, said the outcome of the Anambra election reflected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to free, fair and credible elections.
He praised the INEC Chairman, national commissioners, management and staff of the Commission, as well as the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, for their professionalism and dedication during the polls.
Abdullahi said preparations were already underway for the upcoming FCT Area Council elections, bye-elections in Rivers and Kano states, off-cycle governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states, and the 2027 General Election.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, in collaboration with other security agencies, is mobilising resources to prevent disruptions to the electoral process.
“Adequate security personnel will be deployed to polling units and identified high-risk electoral wards. Political thugs and individuals with violent tendencies will be identified and restrained, while vote buyers will be tracked and apprehended,” he said.
He warned that any act capable of undermining the integrity of elections would be dealt with decisively in accordance with the law, urging political parties, candidates and supporters to conduct themselves peacefully.
Abdullahi also called on the media, civil society organisations, community leaders and citizens to support peaceful elections, stressing that collective responsibility remains key to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.