The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has outlined measures it intends to deploy to curb electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that anyone who threatens election workers, youth-corps members or permanent staff will be pursued, arrested and prosecuted.
The commission said the strategy involves enhanced collaboration with security agencies and stakeholders to ensure a peaceful poll.
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan announced the plan in Gombe during the North-East Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 election.
The Chairman said the commission is moving away from reactive, election-day deployments toward a system designed to protect voters, personnel and electoral materials before ballots are moved.
The plan, known as the “ICCES Tentacle,” restructures coordination among the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS), the Armed Forces and other agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
It further extends security coordination from national and state headquarters to local government areas and registration-area centres, including remote communities.
The plan rests on three pillars: “Map and Mitigate,” which uses Electoral Risk Management tools to identify flashpoints and vulnerabilities early; “Ensure Safety,” which protects personnel, voters and technology, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and servers; and “Guarantee Access,” which seeks to keep all 176,846 polling units safe and accessible.
Amupitan said joint operations led by the DSS recently uncovered an alleged plot by criminal kingpins targeting INEC’s ad-hoc staff and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
He said intelligence-led intervention neutralised the threat, with principal suspects arrested and undergoing prosecution.
“Let me send a clear message from Gombe,” Amupitan said.
“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.”
INEC plans to convene a National Election Security Conference in Abuja to finalise state-specific protocols for high-risk areas.
The Chairman said the North-East presents logistical challenges, including desert terrain, riverine areas and remote communities, but praised the region’s civic resilience.
The North-East has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51% of more than 103 million voters.
Bauchi has the largest bloc, with 3,012,547 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.
Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state legislative elections will be held on February 6, 2027.
Gombe Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Umar Muktar Gajiram, speaking on behalf of North-East commissioners, said the zone was prepared to ensure that none of its nearly 14 million registered voters is disenfranchised.
He said directives on voter-register display, logistics audits and technology testing would be carried out fully.
Amupitan described security as “the bedrock of electoral integrity,” saying INEC is not working in isolation.
“Insecurity may pose a challenge, but our collective constitutional resolve is far stronger,” he said.
