By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a new intelligence-led security framework to protect voters, electoral personnel and materials ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that anyone who threatens or harms election workers will be brought to justice.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in Gombe while declaring open the North-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 general election.
He said the new security architecture, tagged “ICCES Tentacle,” would extend coordination among security agencies from national and state headquarters to local government areas and Registration Area Centres, replacing reactive election-day deployments with proactive, intelligence-driven measures.
The framework operates under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which brings together the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces and other security and paramilitary agencies.
Amupitan explained that the initiative rests on three pillars: “Map and Mitigate,” “Ensure Safety” and “Guarantee Access.”
He said the first pillar would deploy Electoral Risk Management tools to identify security flashpoints, seasonal threats and local vulnerabilities early enough for security agencies to take preventive action before the arrival of sensitive election materials.
The second pillar is designed to protect electoral personnel, technological infrastructure, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and servers, as well as voters, while the third seeks to ensure that all 176,846 polling units nationwide remain safe and accessible for the exercise of democratic rights.
The INEC chairman disclosed that collaboration among security agencies had already yielded results, revealing that joint operations involving the DSS recently uncovered a covert plot by criminal kingpins targeting the Commission’s ad hoc staff and National Youth Service Corps members.
According to him, intelligence-led intervention neutralised the threat, while the principal orchestrators were arrested and are currently undergoing prosecution.
“Let me send a clear message from Gombe,” Amupitan said, warning that anyone who attempts to threaten, intimidate or harm ad hoc staff, NYSC members or permanent personnel of the Commission would be hunted down and brought to justice under the full weight of the law.
He also announced plans to convene a National Election Security Conference in Abuja, where state-specific security protocols for high-risk areas would be finalised.
Acknowledging the security challenges confronting the North-East, including vast desert terrains, riverine stretches along the Benue trough, remote agrarian communities and expansive land areas, Amupitan commended the region’s resilience and civic determination.
The zone has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent of Nigeria’s national voter register of more than 103 million. Bauchi State has 3,012,547 registered voters, followed 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.
Amupitan reiterated that the 2027 general election would be conducted nationwide across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would hold on February 6, 2027.
He assured INEC staff and stakeholders that the Commission was working with security agencies to address potential threats, describing security as “the bedrock of electoral integrity.”
“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is far stronger,” he said.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Gombe State, Alhaji Umar Muktar Gajiram, who spoke on behalf of other North-East RECs, welcomed the chairman, national commissioners and electoral officers from Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe.
Gajiram described the chairman’s visit as historic and timely, saying it would boost the morale of electoral personnel responsible for safeguarding the democratic process.
He noted that Gombe State, with 1,768,566 registered voters, 11 local government areas and 3,311 polling units, was strategically positioned for the engagement.
The REC assured the chairman that the North-East was prepared to implement the Commission’s directives on voter register display, logistics audits and technological testing, stressing that efforts would be made to ensure that none of the zone’s 13.96 million registered voters was disenfranchised.
In a related development, Amupitan has urged traditional rulers and political leaders to support peaceful participation and national unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
He made the appeal on Monday, October 26, during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gombe, HRH Dr. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, CFR, as part of his readiness assessment visit to the state.
The INEC chairman said Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest democracy placed a responsibility on the country to conduct an election capable of strengthening national unity and democratic development.
“The weight of election is heavy. We want this 2027 election to be very unique, an election that will further unite Nigeria,” he said.
He added that countries and traditional kingdoms across Africa were looking to Nigeria to deliver a credible electoral process, making the support of traditional institutions important.
Amupitan explained that the Commission had commenced readiness assessments in the South-West before moving to the North-West, South-East and North-East, adding that it routinely sought the blessings and support of traditional rulers before beginning activities in each zone.
He urged the Emir to mobilise residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, stressing that PVC collection was a prerequisite for voting. He also appealed to the traditional ruler to encourage political leaders to conduct peaceful campaigns and help educate residents on the dangers of misinformation and disinformation.
The chairman disclosed that INEC had concluded work on the voters’ register and that PVC distribution was ongoing. He added that recruitment of ad hoc election personnel had begun through an online portal open to qualified Nigerians.
He further said accreditation and result uploads would be conducted using the BVAS technology, while the Commission was working with the police, the Office of the National Security Adviser, service chiefs and other security agencies to protect voters and electoral infrastructure.
“We are all your children. There must always be a Nigeria,” he said.
Amupitan assured the Emir that INEC would remain impartial under his leadership, adding: “We are no candidate of our own, but we will do everything possible to conduct a free, fair, inclusive and credible election come 2027.”
In his response, the Emir pledged the support of the traditional institution in Gombe and the wider North-East in a non-partisan manner. He emphasised that credible elections required careful planning, professionalism, impartiality, transparency and public cooperation.
The Emir also promised to support efforts to discourage electoral violence, inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation while encouraging peaceful participation in the democratic process.
During the visit, Amupitan also addressed INEC staff in Gombe, urging them to intensify preparations for the elections and discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Commission’s guidelines.
He said renovations at the Gombe state office and other local government offices were intended to improve operational capacity and election logistics.
The chairman disclosed that some non-sensitive election materials had been received, while additional BVAS machines had been ordered and were expected to arrive within the week.
He added that INEC had audited existing BVAS machines nationwide following challenges experienced during the 2023 general election and was working to provide adequate storage facilities for the equipment.
Amupitan stressed that technology would remain central to voter accreditation and the transmission of election results, urging electoral officers to strengthen public enlightenment and encourage eligible voters to collect their PVCs.
“This period, nobody goes on leave again,” he told the staff, urging them to devote their time to ensuring a seamless and successful election.
The delegation also inspected the INEC office in Gombe Local Government Area and the Commission’s zonal store to assess facilities and logistical arrangements.
Meanwhile, INEC has made the Preliminary Register of Voters for the 2027 general election available online following the physical display of the register nationwide from October 9 to 15, 2026.
The Commission announced the development in a statement issued on Monday, October 26, and signed by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
According to the statement, the register is accessible through https://display.inecnigeria.org.
INEC said the online publication followed concerns raised by Nigerians and stakeholders over the need to make the register more accessible beyond the physical display conducted at Registration Areas.
The Commission explained that the move was intended to promote transparency, accessibility and public confidence in the electoral process.
It added that claims and objections arising from the exercise were being processed in accordance with Section 19 of the Electoral Act, 2026, ahead of the certification and publication of the Final Register of Voters scheduled for December 15, 2026.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and the implementation of the Electoral Act, 2026 as part of efforts to deliver credible elections in 2027.
