Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has emphasized that adequate funding is critical to providing the security and logistics required for the successful conduct of the 2027 general election. He made this statement in Owerri, while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers. The conference had the theme, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
Amupitan highlighted that adequate funding is particularly important for the deployment of personnel and electoral materials to local government areas, wards, registration areas, and polling units. He noted that while the commission’s funding was constitutionally provided as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the scale of its responsibilities required sustained financial support to enable it to conduct elections effectively.
The INEC chairman explained that the commission is responsible not only for presidential and National Assembly elections but also for governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, voter registration, and the registration of political parties. He stressed that voter registration remained the foundation of credible elections, saying an inaccurate or outdated voters’ register could undermine the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
Amupitan stated that because INEC conducted elections affecting the three tiers of government, election expenditure, including security-related costs, should be approached as a collective national responsibility. He noted that even where security agencies succeed in maintaining peace, inadequate logistics could still undermine the conduct of an election.
The chairman highlighted the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), describing it as a platform that brings INEC and relevant security and government agencies together to coordinate election security. He said the committee, which began as a coordinating arrangement after the 2011 general election following concerns over post-election violence, had evolved into a structured mechanism for election security coordination.
Amupitan said ICCES now operates at federal, state, and local government levels, with the Inspector-General of Police participating at the national level, commissioners of police at the state level, and other security agencies at the local government level. He emphasized that INEC had made both security and logistics priorities under his leadership, adding that the commission is working with government and security agencies to ensure that operational challenges do not undermine the 2027 polls.
Amupitan concluded that the commission’s ability to conduct elections effectively depends on its ability to manage its finances effectively. He said, “Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you are able to do because of financial constraints. The system does make allocations of what is available and what is affordable at a particular time for the expenses and appropriation of the agencies, including the police and also including INEC.”
Key points
- Adequate funding is critical for the security and logistics required for the successful conduct of the 2027 general election.
- INEC is responsible for a wide range of electoral activities, including presidential and National Assembly elections, governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, voter registration, and the registration of political parties.
- The Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) plays a crucial role in coordinating election security.
