By Nkechi Eze
As preparations intensify for the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has renewed its strategic collaboration with the National Peace Committee (NPC), reinforcing efforts to safeguard the electoral process and deepen public confidence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The renewed partnership was reaffirmed on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at INEC’s Headquarters in Abuja when members of the National Peace Committee paid a courtesy visit to the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN. The meeting was attended by National Commissioners, technical aides and members of INEC’s top management team.
Welcoming the delegation, Prof. Amupitan described the visit as both timely and significant, noting that the Commission had in the preceding week concluded a series of consultative meetings with critical stakeholders, including security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations and the media, as part of its final preparations for the FCT election.
He stressed that beyond the immediate poll, 2026 represents a crucial groundwork year for the 2027 General Election, making early collaboration on security and risk management imperative. “We regard 2026 as our preparatory year for the 2027 General Election,” the INEC Chairman stated. “The responsibility we share in maintaining peace and security during this period is paramount. With proactive and strategic partnership, we can create an environment conducive to safe and credible elections.”
Prof. Amupitan commended the National Peace Committee for establishing its Election Security Information (ESI) Hub, describing it as a valuable complement to institutional mechanisms aimed at preventing conflict and mitigating electoral risks. He assured the delegation that the Committee’s data-driven security assessment of the FCT particularly the identification of potential flashpoints in AMAC, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Bwari Area Councils would be carefully reviewed and integrated into ongoing security coordination efforts.
Addressing concerns raised by the Committee, the INEC Chairman acknowledged reports of alleged threats among political actors, intra- and inter-party disputes, risks of vote trading and broader community-based security challenges. He pledged that relevant information would be shared with security agencies to facilitate both preventive and responsive measures.
“Just last week, we charged the Nigeria Police Force, the EFCC and the ICPC to be on guard against vote buying and related offences,” he said, adding that the evidence-based insights presented by the Committee would help guide further actions to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process.
While emphasising that certain security details must remain confidential, Prof. Amupitan expressed readiness to deepen structured information-sharing with the Committee under appropriate confidentiality arrangements. He noted that both institutions are united by a common objective: ensuring peaceful and credible elections.
He also recalled the Committee’s longstanding role in facilitating peace accords before major elections, including the Anambra Governorship Election, describing such undertakings as a moral and social contract that reinforces political actors’ commitment to non-violence and respect for electoral outcomes.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Kukah Centre and Head of Secretariat of the National Peace Committee, Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo, conveyed the goodwill of the Committee’s Chairman, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.), and its Convener, Bishop Hassan Kukah. He reaffirmed the Committee’s readiness to provide strategic support not only for the FCT poll but also for forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, as well as the broader build-up to the 2027 General Election.
Rev. Fr. Barkindo disclosed that the Committee’s Election Security Information Hub, launched last year, has developed nationwide networks to collect and analyse data on insecurity, violence and conflict trends both election-specific and those capable of indirectly affecting the electoral process. According to him, the Committee’s interventions are guided strictly by empirical evidence rather than sentiment or partisan interests.
In a detailed technical presentation, the Project Manager of the Kukah Centre, Ms. Asabe, described the FCT election as a “mirror” that will reflect the country’s level of preparedness for the 2027 General Election. She explained that since June last year, the ESI Hub has tracked incidents under two principal categories: election-related violence and an Electoral Offences Tracking System aligned with constitutional provisions, the Electoral Act and the principles underpinning peace accords.
Providing area-specific insights, she identified AMAC as recording a high concentration of reported security incidents, alongside potential risks of vote trading. Gwagwalada was flagged for indigene-settler tensions and party disputes, while Bwari faces challenges linked to candidate legitimacy disputes and security spillovers from neighbouring states.
