The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, has warned that anyone who attacks or threatens electoral officials, including National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed for election duties, will face the full force of the law.
Amupitan gave the warning on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during a meeting with INEC staff from the South-South region to assess preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He said INEC was working with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to protect voters, electoral officials and election materials.
The INEC chairman also warned electoral officers against favouritism, absence from duty, negligence and financial misconduct. He said any officer found guilty of such acts would face disciplinary action.
According to him, the meeting was organised to assess the commission’s level of preparedness, identify challenges and improve its operations ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said INEC was using lessons from governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and 16 by-elections to improve its preparations.
Amupitan disclosed that the South-South region had 15,823,550 registered voters, with Rivers State accounting for 3,736,434.
He stressed that no eligible voter should be denied the opportunity to vote because of poor planning, administrative mistakes or logistical problems.
On election technology, he said INEC was preparing its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), including 57,000 newly purchased devices. The commission was also checking its electronic result management systems to improve the transparency of result transmission through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Speaking on concerns about suspicious photographs in the preliminary voters’ register published online, Amupitan said the commission was investigating the records and would take action based on verified findings.
He urged Nigerians to take part in the ongoing display of the voters’ register, where they can check their details and report errors or objections. The final voters’ register is scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026.
The INEC chairman also addressed the challenges of conducting elections in riverine and coastal communities across the South-South region. He said the commission had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Transporters Union to ensure the safe and timely movement of election officials and materials.
On staff welfare, Amupitan highlighted improved salaries, hazard and field allowances under the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS). He also said monthly allocations to state offices had increased by 150 per cent from July 1, 2026.
Earlier, the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner said the meeting would help INEC assess its readiness and address challenges before the elections.
He noted that credible elections required adequate logistics, trained personnel, functional technology, effective security and voter education. He also called for greater participation by women, young people and persons with disabilities.
The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs Helen Ajayi, said the assessment would cover voter registration, Permanent Voter Card collection, staff training, election security, voter education, technology and election operations across the six South-South states.
Ajayi urged electoral officers to cooperate with the assessment teams and work with traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to participate in the elections.
Representatives of the six states presented reports on their preparations, including progress made, outstanding tasks and challenges.
Amupitan formally opened the meeting by urging INEC officials to demonstrate integrity, professionalism and commitment to delivering credible, transparent and inclusive elections in 2027.