The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the Nigeria Police to conduct security risk analyses of potential flashpoints ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, who made the call during a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, stressed the need for proactive security measures and comprehensive risk assessments to identify potential flashpoints and deploy appropriate mitigation strategies.
“The scale of insecurity across various parts of the country presents a threat to the conduct of free and fair elections,” the INEC Chairman stated.
He stressed the need for intelligence sharing among security agencies, strategic planning, and community engagement, highlighting the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in the conduct of elections.
“Our success depends on ICCES moving from reactive policing to proactive intelligence coordination,” Prof. Amupitan said, adding that all stakeholders must ensure a unified, multi-agency approach to protecting electoral personnel, materials, and voters.
The INEC Chairman informed the IGP that the commission has commenced preparations for the 2027 general elections, including the ongoing political party congresses and conventions for nomination of candidates for the general elections, which he described as a “security trigger.”
He also noted the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, as well as a series of bye-elections across the country.
“These elections are crucial milestones in Nigeria’s democratic journey, and they must be conducted peacefully and seamlessly,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan identified issues such as electoral malpractices, vote trading, and threats of violence as factors that undermine public confidence and pose risks to national security.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to delivering peaceful, credible, and transparent elections that reflect the will of the Nigerian people.
The IGP, on his part, assured the commission of the preparedness of the Nigeria Police to provide a secure environment for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
He stated that the police, as the lead agency in election security management, would discharge its responsibilities with professionalism, impartiality and strict adherence to the Constitution, the Electoral Act and other extant laws.
IGP Disu disclosed that the force had already begun strategic threat assessments and intelligence mapping nationwide to identify flashpoints and emerging security risks ahead of the elections.
According to him, issues such as political violence, the proliferation of illegal arms, voter intimidation, cyber manipulation, misinformation, and attacks on electoral infrastructure had been identified as priority concerns requiring proactive attention.
The IGP assured that intelligence-led deployments and preventive policing strategies would be adopted to neutralise threats before they escalate.
He stated that no political party, candidate or interest group would enjoy preferential treatment from the police, and warned that officers found engaging in partisan conduct or unethical practices would face disciplinary and legal consequences.
“We will ensure that we enforce electoral laws firmly and we will do it professionally,” the IGP said.
He added that officers selected for election duties would undergo intensive training on electoral security management, human rights compliance, rules of engagement, crowd control and ethical conduct.
