The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has charged security agencies to significantly scale up planning, intelligence gathering, deployment and inter-agency coordination as Nigeria enters an intense electoral cycle.
Prof. Amupitan gave the charge on Friday, 6th February 2026, at the first regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for the year, held at the Commission’s Conference Room in Abuja.
Describing 2026 as a “very busy electoral year,” the INEC Chairman said the Commission would be conducting a wide range of electoral activities, including Area Council elections, bye-elections and off-cycle governorship elections, all of which demand heightened security preparedness.
According to him, “this reality places a greater burden on our collective shoulders,” stressing that elections can only be credible when voters, election personnel, and materials are adequately protected.
Reflecting on the Anambra State Governorship Election held on 8th November 2025, Prof. Amupitan commended security agencies for their professionalism and dedication, noting that despite the state’s history of election-related security challenges, the election was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.
He said the effective deployment of security personnel, proactive intelligence coordination and firm response to threats made it possible for the Commission to declare a winner on the first ballot, an outcome he described as a clear departure from past experiences in the state.
FCT Polls
The INEC Chairman disclosed that attention had now shifted to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, 21st February 2026, involving 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils.
As campaigns draw to a close on Thursday, 19th February 2026, he urged security agencies to ensure strict enforcement of the law, prevent the use of political thugs, curb vote buying and guarantee the safety of voters and election personnel on Election Day.
Prof. Amupitan said the Commission had concluded major preparatory activities, including the batching and delivery of non-sensitive materials to the Area Councils, as well as the training of Electoral Officers and Election Security Personnel.
He added that the training of ad-hoc staff commenced on Friday, 6th February and would end on 15th February 2026, while BVAS devices were being configured and sensitive materials would be delivered under secure conditions.
He further announced that INEC would conduct a mock accreditation exercise on Saturday, 7th February 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils, noting that details of the polling units would be published on the Commission’s website.
However, the Chairman stressed that no level of administrative preparedness could substitute for effective security coordination, particularly in identified flashpoints.
River, Kano Bye Elections
On other elections scheduled for the same day as the FCT polls, Prof. Amupitan said bye-elections would hold in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and seamless inter-agency cooperation.
Looking ahead, he disclosed that the Ekiti State Governorship Election would hold on 20th June 2026, while Osun State would go to the polls on 8th August 2026, with preparatory activities already underway.
He emphasised that early security planning was critical to preventing avoidable challenges and ensuring peaceful elections in both states.
2027 Elections
As part of preparations for the 2027 General Election, the INEC Chairman also announced that the Commission would soon embark on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise to further sanitise the national register, alongside the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), adding that both activities would require robust security support.
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, 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 Nigeria Police Force 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.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by INEC and security agencies to sustained collaboration, vigilance and professionalism in securing Nigeria’s electoral process throughout the demanding 2026 electoral calendar.