The Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigeria Police Force are intensifying preparations for the 2027 general elections, with insecurity, logistics and pre-election violence emerging as major issues ahead of the polls.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the commission was working with the police to identify and bring to justice individuals responsible for electoral violence, particularly in areas affected by insecurity.
Amupitan spoke during the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, Imo State, where election security formed a major part of discussions between electoral officials and senior police officers.
The conference was held under the theme, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
Insecurity Raises Disenfranchisement Concerns
For INEC, the immediate concern is that insecurity could make it difficult to conduct elections in some communities or prevent eligible Nigerians from voting.
Amupitan said there were states where insecurity remained a significant concern, adding that the commission did not want Nigerians to be disenfranchised because of security conditions.
The police serve as the lead agency for election security, meaning cooperation between the force, INEC and other security organisations will be critical as election preparations progress.
The commission is also concerned about political intolerance and the possibility of violence before polling day.
Amupitan urged political parties to concentrate campaigns on issues rather than personal attacks and denigration of opponents.
Police Develop Election Roadmap
The security planning is expected to cover more than voting day.
Campaign rallies, movement of election materials, protection of INEC facilities, voting centres, collation centres and post-election activities all require security arrangements.
Nigeria’s large geographical size and differences in security conditions between states make that task more complicated.
Some communities face insurgency or banditry, while others have experienced communal violence, kidnapping or politically linked clashes.
The Guardian also reported on Thursday that INEC and the Inspector-General of Police had raised security and logistics concerns ahead of the 2027 elections.
Electoral Offenders Face Prosecution
INEC said it intends to work with law-enforcement agencies to ensure suspected violations of the Electoral Act are investigated.
The commission does not directly arrest electoral offenders, making police cooperation necessary for investigation and prosecution.
As preparations accelerate, the effectiveness of those arrangements will be closely watched by political parties, election observers and voters.
The 2027 elections will again require INEC to coordinate one of Africa’s largest electoral exercises, making early resolution of security and logistical problems an important part of preparations.
