By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over what it described as an unusually demanding election calendar in 2026, calling on security agencies to deepen coordination, uphold professionalism and remain firmly committed to protecting the electoral process as the country steadily marches towards the 2027 General Election.
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, gave the charge on Friday in Abuja during the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for the year, a strategic forum that brings together key security institutions and electoral stakeholders to harmonise plans for peaceful and credible elections.
Professor Amupitan explained that 2026 would be a highly intensive year for the Commission and security agencies alike, featuring multiple elections across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, several bye-elections, and off-cycle governorship polls, all unfolding ahead of the 2027 General Election.
According to him, 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 professionalism and dedication during the Anambra State governorship election held in November 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 INEC to declare a winner on the first ballot.
Looking ahead to the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the poll will involve more than 1.6 million registered voters spread across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
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.
Professor Amupitan revealed that INEC has already concluded major aspects of preparation for the FCT polls, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of electoral officers and election security personnel, as well as the ongoing training of ad-hoc staff.
He added that the configuration of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices is in progress, while sensitive materials will be transported under strict security protection.
As part of efforts to test the Commission’s readiness, Amupitan announced that INEC would conduct a mock accreditation exercise on February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the FCT, describing the exercise as critical to identifying and resolving potential operational challenges ahead of Election Day.
The INEC Chairman further disclosed that bye-elections would also hold on the same day in parts of Rivers and Kano states, a development he said increases the complexity of security deployment and makes effective coordination among agencies even more imperative.
He added 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.
Professor Amupitan also announced that INEC would soon commence a nationwide voter revalidation exercise alongside the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), stressing that the exercise would require strong security support to protect INEC facilities, personnel and registrants, particularly in flashpoint areas.
He urged members of ICCES to remain neutral, disciplined and steadfast in the discharge of their responsibilities, stressing that election security must cover every stage of the process.
“We must secure the process from start to finish,” the INEC Chairman declared.
Speaking at the meeting, the Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Hassan Abdullahi, who represented the National Security Adviser and Co-Chair of ICCES, congratulated INEC and the security agencies on the successful conduct of the Anambra State governorship election held on November 8, 2025.
He praised the security and law enforcement agencies for what he described as their outstanding performance during the election, noting that the peaceful outcome reflected a growing institutional commitment to electoral integrity.
Abdullahi said the conduct of the Anambra election demonstrated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s determination to entrench free, credible and violence-free elections in Nigeria, describing it as a positive signal ahead of the series of elections lined up for 2026 and beyond.
He listed the forthcoming elections to include the FCT Area Council polls and the bye-elections in parts of Rivers and Kano states on February 21, 2026, the Ekiti governorship election on June 20, 2026, the Osun governorship election on August 8, 2026, and ultimately the 2027 General Election. He also mentioned the planned nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise and the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, is already working closely with other security agencies to prevent any actions capable of disrupting the electoral process.
He disclosed that security personnel would be strategically deployed to polling units and identified flashpoints, while efforts would be intensified to identify and neutralise political thugs and vote buyers before, during and after elections.
Abdullahi warned that anyone found violating electoral laws would face the full weight of the law, adding that political parties, candidates and their supporters must conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly.
He also called on the media, civil society organisations, traditional and community leaders, and citizens to play their roles in promoting peaceful elections and safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic process.
The meeting reaffirmed the collective resolve of INEC and the nation’s security architecture to work in unison to deliver credible, peaceful and transparent elections, even in the face of an increasingly busy and complex electoral calendar.
