By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that anyone who attacks or threatens its officials, including National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed for election duties, will face the full consequences of the law ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, gave the warning on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while addressing staff during the commission’s South-South Zonal Interactive Meeting and Readiness Assessment.

Amupitan said the commission was strengthening its security arrangements in partnership with relevant agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), with the aim of protecting voters, electoral personnel and election materials.

He cautioned that electoral officers must also maintain the highest standards of professionalism, impartiality and accountability, warning that partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct would attract disciplinary action.

The INEC chairman said the meeting was part of efforts to assess the preparedness of field offices, identify operational weaknesses and address challenges that could affect the conduct of the 2027 elections.

He disclosed that the commission was reviewing lessons from recent electoral exercises, including governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, FCT Area Council elections and 16 by-elections, to strengthen its preparations for the nationwide polls.

On voter participation, Amupitan revealed that the South-South region currently had 15,823,550 registered voters, with Rivers State accounting for 3,736,434. He insisted that no eligible voter should lose the opportunity to vote because of administrative shortcomings or logistical failures.

The commission is also preparing to strengthen its election technology, including the deployment of 57,000 newly procured Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices. Amupitan said INEC was auditing its electronic result management systems to improve transparency in the transmission of results through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

He also addressed concerns over suspicious photographs identified in the preliminary voters’ register published online, saying the commission was examining the records and would take corrective action where necessary based on verified findings.

The INEC chairman urged eligible Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing display, claims and objections exercise to scrutinise the preliminary register, ahead of the scheduled publication of the final voters’ register on December 15, 2026.

Recognising the transportation difficulties posed by the region’s creeks, coastal settlements and riverine communities, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Transporters Union to ensure the safe and timely movement of election personnel and materials.

Advertisement

He also highlighted measures introduced to improve staff welfare, including the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), improved salaries, hazard and field allowances, as well as a 150 per cent increase in monthly allocations to state offices, effective July 1, 2026.

Earlier, the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner described the meeting as an opportunity to examine the commission’s level of preparedness and identify challenges that require attention before the elections.

The REC stressed that credible polls would depend on adequate logistics, trained personnel, functional technology, effective security coordination and sustained voter education. He also called for stronger cooperation between INEC headquarters and state offices, alongside greater participation by women, young people and persons with disabilities.

In her presentation, the Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs Helen Ajayi, explained that the assessment was designed to review the readiness of the six South-South states and identify operational and logistical gaps.

She said the exercise would examine areas such as election security, personnel training, voter education, stakeholder engagement, voter registration, Permanent Voter Card collection, information and communication technology, human resources and election operations.

Ajayi also emphasised the importance of Electoral Risk Management in identifying possible flashpoints and developing preventive measures. She urged field officials to cooperate with assessment teams and called for grassroots mobilisation, including the involvement of traditional rulers in encouraging eligible residents to participate in the electoral process.

Representatives from the six states presented reports on their preparations, outlining progress made, outstanding responsibilities and challenges requiring intervention.

The meeting also featured presentations from INEC departments responsible for voter education, voter registration, information technology, human resources and electoral operations.

Declaring the meeting open, Amupitan urged electoral officials to uphold integrity, professionalism and accountability, saying the commission remained committed to conducting credible, transparent and inclusive elections in 2027.