The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has raised the alarm over what it describes as an unusually demanding election schedule in 2026, asking Security Agencies to deepen coordination, uphold professionalism and remain firmly committed to protecting the electoral process as ahead of the Elections
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan said this during the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security for the year, a forum that brings together key security institutions and electoral Key players to harmonise plans for peaceful, transparent and credible polls.
Amupitan explains that credible elections are impossible in an atmosphere of fear, stressing that voters must feel safe to come out and exercise their civic rights without intimidation, harassment or threats. He commended the various security agencies for their dedication during the Anambra State governorship election in 2025, noting that effective deployment, timely intelligence sharing and rapid response to emerging threats contributed significantly to the peaceful conduct of the poll and enabled the Commission to declare a winner on the first ballot as he reminded them of the February 21 FCT Polls, stressing on peaceful process.
He emphasised the need for robust security arrangements to enforce the law, prevent the deployment of political thugs, curb vote buying, and guarantee the safety of voters, election personnel and materials throughout the process.
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Amupitan disclosed that early security planning is already underway for the Ekiti State Governorship election slated for June 2026 and the Osun State Governorship election scheduled for August 2026, noting that public interest and political activities would continue to intensify as the Country draws closer to the 2027 General Election.
He further announced that INEC would soon commence a nationwide voter revalidation exercise alongside the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, stressing that the exercise would require strong security support to protect INEC facilities, personnel and registrants especially in flashpoint areas.
The Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Hassan Abdullahi, who represented the National Security Adviser and led other Security Agencies, promised to continue to work closely with INEC in ensuring smooth and transparent process before, during and after all the scheduled events.
(Editor: Roluke Ogundele)
