Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said that elections cannot be regarded as credible if voters feel unsafe to participate in the process.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for 2026, which was attended by heads and representatives of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, Amupitan stressed the critical role of security agencies in safeguarding Nigeria’s electoral integrity.

He described 2026 as a very busy electoral year, noting that the country would witness Area Council elections, bye-elections and off-cycle governorship elections ahead of the 2027 general election.

He said the development requires heightened security planning, intelligence gathering and inter-agency coordination.

“As we approach the 2027 general election, public interest and expectations continue to rise. While the commission has finalised its timetable in line with the law, the scale and complexity of the elections demand early and sustained security engagement. Elections cannot be credible if citizens feel unsafe to participate,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chairman commended security agencies for their role in the peaceful conduct of the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election held on November 8, 2025, barely two weeks after he assumed office.

He stated that despite the state’s history of election-related security challenges, the professionalism of security personnel ensured a calm atmosphere that enabled the commission to declare a winner on the first ballot.

On the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election scheduled for February 21, Amupitan disclosed that the poll would involve 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six area councils.

He said INEC had completed batching and delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of electoral officers and election security personnel, while training of ad-hoc staff began on February 6 and would end on February 15.

According to him, the commission would conduct a mock accreditation exercise on Saturday, February 7, in 289 selected polling units across the six area councils, with details to be published on its website.

He, however, stressed that administrative preparedness alone could not guarantee credible elections without effective security coordination, urging agencies to maintain professionalism, especially at identified flashpoints.

Amupitan also disclosed that bye-elections would be conducted on the same day as the FCT polls in Ahoada East II and Khana II state constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo state constituencies in Kano State.

The INEC chairman revealed that the commission would soon embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise alongside the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, ahead of the 2027 general election, which would require security protection for facilities, personnel and voters, particularly in volatile areas.

He emphasised that the credibility of elections and Nigeria’s democracy depends largely on the ability of security agencies to secure the entire electoral process from start to finish.

Speaking on behalf of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Co-Chair of ICCES, the Director of Internal Security, Office of the NSA, Mr. Hassan Abdullahi, congratulated INEC and security agencies on the successful conduct of the Anambra governorship election, describing it as a positive benchmark for future polls.

He said the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), as the lead agency for election security, was already mobilising resources to ensure peaceful conduct of the FCT Area Council elections, bye-elections in Rivers and Kano States, as well as upcoming off-cycle governorship elections.

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Elections, CP Abayomi Shogunle, reaffirmed the commitment of the NPF to massive deployment for all elections nationwide, assuring that adequate security would continue to be provided for INEC personnel, facilities and materials across the country. (Guardian)