INEC strikes to guard polling employees towards risk

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has introduced a shift from reactive, election-day deployments to an intelligence-led safety framework designed to guard voters, personnel and electoral supplies forward of the 2027 basic election.

Prof. Amupitan disclosed this in Gombe on Tuesday twenty seventh October, 2026, whereas declaring open the North-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.

He mentioned 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 different paramilitary companies below the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) had been basically restructured.

According to him, the brand new framework, which the Commission phrases the “ICCES Tentacle,” extends inter-agency safety coordination from nationwide and state headquarters immediately all the way down to probably the most distant Local Government Areas and Registration Area Centres.

The Chairman informed the gathering that no election, no matter how effectively deliberate administratively, could possibly be deemed credible if voters, election personnel and observers function below bodily risk or worry of violence.

He defined that the framework rests on three pillars, the primary being “Map and Mitigate.” Under this pillar, the Commission will use Electoral Risk Management (ERM) instruments to establish safety flashpoints, seasonal risk elements and native vulnerabilities early. This, he mentioned, would enable safety companies to deploy proactive measures lengthy earlier than poll papers arrive.

The second pillar, “Ensure Safety,” supplies a protecting umbrella over all electoral personnel, technological belongings, together with Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) gadgets and server infrastructure, and, most significantly, the voter.

The third pillar, “Guarantee Access,” is geared toward guaranteeing that every of the 176,846 polling items nationwide stays a protected, peaceable and dignified house for the train of democratic rights, no matter geographical remoteness or historic safety challenges.

Prof. Amupitan mentioned the collaboration amongst safety companies had already produced concrete outcomes. He disclosed that joint operations led by the DSS not too long ago uncovered a covert plot by felony kingpins concentrating on the Commission’s ad-hoc employees and Youth Corps members.

He mentioned swift, intelligence-led intervention neutralised the risk, and that the principal orchestrators had been arrested and are at present present process prosecution.

“Let me send a clear message from Gombe,” the Chairman mentioned, warning that anybody who makes an attempt to threaten, intimidate or hurt ad-hoc employees, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members or everlasting personnel of the Commission could be hunted down and delivered to justice below the total weight of the legislation.

He additional disclosed that the Commission would shortly convene a National Election Security Conference in Abuja, the place state-specific safety protocols for high-risk zones could be finalised.

Prof. Amupitan acknowledged that the North-East presents distinct operational challenges, together with huge desert terrains, riverine stretches alongside the Benue trough, distant agrarian communities and expansive landmasses. He famous, nonetheless, that the zone had demonstrated outstanding resilience and civic dedication.

The zone has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent of the nationwide register of over 103 million. Bauchi State has the best quantity with 3,012,547 voters, adopted 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 mentioned the 2027 General Election could be a simultaneous nationwide endeavor throughout 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The Presidential and National Assembly Elections are scheduled for Saturday, sixteenth January 2027, whereas the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will maintain on Saturday, sixth February 2027.

He assured employees and stakeholders throughout the North-East that INEC was not working in isolation, describing safety as “the bedrock of electoral integrity.”

“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is far stronger,” he mentioned.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the host Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Gombe state, Alhaji 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 go to to Gombe as historic, well timed and an enormous morale booster for employees who’re on the frontline of constitutional democracy. He famous that Gombe because the geographical centre of the North-East with 1,768,566 voters, 11 LGAs and three,311 polling items is strategically positioned for the engagement.

He assured the Chairman that the North-East zone is totally ready, loyal and dedicated to making sure that not a single voter out of the 13.96 million within the zone is disenfranchised, and that every one directives on voter register show, logistics audit and technological testing will likely be executed to the letter.