Amupitan Calls for Stronger Inter-Agency Coordination, Accurate Voters’ Register and Professional Policing Ahead of Polls
By Chioma Vivian James
As preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stressed the need for adequate funding, effective logistics and stronger security coordination to ensure smooth and credible conduct of the polls nationwide.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the call on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, while speaking at the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026), where stakeholders focused on developing a comprehensive roadmap for election security ahead of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan warned that funding constraints could hamper the ability of both INEC and security agencies to meet the extensive logistical requirements involved in conducting elections across the country.
According to him, election preparations require the deployment of personnel and materials across multiple levels, including local government areas, wards, registration areas and polling units. Any funding shortfall, he noted, could therefore create operational gaps capable of affecting the smooth delivery of the electoral process.
The INEC chairman further emphasised that election security goes beyond the traditional responsibility of maintaining public order.
He explained that even where security agencies succeed in preventing disturbances and maintaining peace, inadequate logistics could still disrupt election operations and affect the effective deployment of personnel and materials.
Amupitan also identified voter registration as a critical foundation for credible elections, stressing that the accuracy and currency of the voters’ register remain essential to ensuring an inclusive electoral process.
He cautioned that an inaccurate or outdated register could exclude eligible voters and undermine confidence in the electoral system, making sustained attention to voter registration a key component of preparations for 2027.
The INEC chairman equally called for deeper collaboration among agencies involved in election security through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He said stronger coordination among INEC, the police, security agencies and other relevant government institutions at the federal, state and local government levels would be necessary to identify and address emerging security and operational challenges before they affect the elections.
Addressing the senior police officers, Amupitan urged them to uphold professional neutrality, improve intelligence gathering and strengthen inter-agency cooperation in the build-up to the 2027 polls.
He said the credibility of the electoral process would depend not only on the work of the electoral commission but also on the professionalism and effectiveness of institutions responsible for providing a secure environment for voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders.
Also speaking at the conference, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, urged the police to provide strong operational support to INEC in safeguarding the electoral process.
She underscored the importance of effective policing in creating an environment where citizens can participate freely and safely in the electoral process.
The three-day CARSPO 2026, held in Owerri from September 21 to 23, brought senior police officers and relevant stakeholders together to deliberate on election security and other issues surrounding preparations for the 2027 general elections.
With the 2027 polls approaching, discussions at the conference underscored the interconnected nature of funding, logistics, voter registration, security and inter-agency cooperation in the organisation of elections across Nigeria.
