The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has issued a stern warning that anyone who threatens, intimidates, or attacks the Commission's personnel will face the full consequences of the law. This warning was given during the South-South Zonal Readiness Assessment and Interactive Staff Engagement held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The safety of INEC personnel, including ad-hoc staff, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members, and permanent employees, remains essential to conducting credible elections.
According to Amupitan, the Commission would not tolerate attacks against its personnel, emphasizing that security challenges would not weaken INEC's determination to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities. He stressed that anyone who attempts to harm electoral workers would be prosecuted. The South-South engagement was the fifth zonal assessment conducted by the Commission, following similar exercises in the South-West, North-West, South-East, and North-East geopolitical zones. This assessment aims to strengthen electoral preparations.
INEC has adopted a field-focused strategy to enhance electoral preparations, which includes effective coordination across all 123 Local Government Areas in the six South-South states. Credible elections, Amupitan noted, require such coordination. The chairman disclosed that the Commission had moved away from relying on election-day security arrangements towards an early-warning and intelligence-driven approach known as the ICCES Tentacle.
The ICCES Tentacle framework aims to strengthen cooperation among security agencies from the national and state levels down to local governments and Registration Area Centres. Its major priorities include identifying threats, protecting electoral personnel, and ensuring voters have safe access to polling units. This framework involves about 60 major operational formations, headquarters, and state commands under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.
The ICCES network comprises military, naval, air force, police, and other security agencies operating across the South-South region, which has 15,823,550 registered voters, representing 15.30 per cent of Nigeria's national voter register. Rivers State alone accounts for 3,736,434 registered voters spread across 23 local government areas. INEC is working to ensure that voters in these areas have a safe and secure voting experience.
Providing an update on preparations, Amupitan said INEC had completed nine out of the 14 major statutory activities outlined in its timetable for the 2027 elections. The exercise will cover more than 103 million registered voters and 176,846 polling units nationwide. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
INEC has also concluded an agreement with the Maritime Transporters Union to facilitate the safe and timely movement of election personnel and materials to riverine and coastal communities. Additionally, operational pickup vehicles have been distributed to state and local government offices to improve logistics. With these measures in place, INEC is working to ensure a smooth and secure electoral process.
Key points
- INEC chairman warns against threats, intimidation, or attacks on commission's personnel ahead of 2027 general elections.
- The South-South region has 15,823,550 registered voters, representing 15.30 per cent of Nigeria's national voter register.
- INEC has completed nine out of 14 major statutory activities outlined in its timetable for the 2027 elections.
