Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has outlined measures to ensure credible, peaceful and inclusive conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The measures, according to INEC, will be executed with the support of the Nigeria Police Force and Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
Speaking at the meeting on post-election reports of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub on the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in Abuja, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti, said that the commission was translating directives from its headquarters into implementation plans at the local government and polling unit levels.
“The plans included weekly reviews, documented corrective actions and continuous engagement with stakeholders to address emerging challenges ahead of the elections.
“We have received many of the non-sensitive materials and are making progress. I believe we are more than 70 per cent prepared ahead of 2027.”
The three organisations identified early security threat assessment, intelligence gathering, adequate logistics, voter education, enforcement of electoral laws and responsible conduct by political parties as critical to preventing violence and electoral malpractice.
According to Omoseyindemi, adequate polling unit logistics, including route mapping and timely arrangements, will be prioritised to prevent avoidable disruptions that could trigger tension on election day.
The REC said that INEC would also strengthen engagements with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to address security concerns.
He stressed that political parties should take greater responsibility for voter education, noting that the task should not be left to INEC alone.
Omoseyindemi also called for effective arrangements for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, urging eligible voters to verify their polling units through the voters’ register and collect their cards ahead of the elections.
The REC warned against misinformation and disinformation, particularly fake announcements misleading citizens about voter registration.
He further advocated a comprehensive clean-up of the voters’ register to remove names of deceased persons and improve the accuracy and credibility of the electoral process to remove deceased persons.
Similarly, Mr. Abdulrahman Omotoso, INEC’s Head of Administration and Personnel Department in Osun, said the commission was intensifying voter sensitisation to discourage vote buying and other electoral offences.
Omotoso said INEC was collaborating with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to educate citizens on the dangers of vote trading.
The INEC official said addressing the practice required investigating the sources of funds used to induce voters and holding those responsible accountable.
On election security, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, in charge of Training and Development at the Force Headquarters, said lessons from the peaceful conduct of the Osun governorship election would aid police preparations for 2027.
Mohammed said the police had undertaken threat assessments and engaged political parties and other stakeholders to address tensions before the Osun election.
According to him, visibility patrols, intelligence-led deployments and cooperation with other security agencies helped deter troublemakers and prevent the infiltration of the state by individuals seeking to disrupt the election.
He added that drones were deployed to monitor the movements of suspected troublemakers, while security operatives acted on intelligence to prevent potential disruptions.
Mohammed said the police would apply these lessons in 2027 through robust intelligence gathering, threat analysis, strategic deployment and pre-election stabilisation operations and trainings.
The National Chairman of IPAC, Mr. Yusuf Dantalle, condemned political violence, intimidation and defamatory statements, questioning the lack of prosecution of politicians accused of making threats or encouraging attacks.
Dantalle cited allegations of politicians making threats involving firearms and called for stronger accountability, stressing that electoral laws must apply to all offenders irrespective of political status.
The IPAC chairman also expressed concern over alleged restrictions on opposition campaigns, including excessive charges imposed on candidates seeking to display campaign billboards in some states.
He said that such practices undermined political competition and questioned the fairness of an electoral environment in which opposition candidates faced additional barriers.
GIK/APA