From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has said, the success of the forthcoming 2027 general elections, will depend largely on adequate funding to guarantee security and logistics across the country.
He stated this on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers themed: “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections”.
Amupitan, who was accompanied by National Commissioners, Dr. Ken Ukeagu and Rear Admiral Jamila Malaga (rtd), Imo REC Chukwuemeka Ibeziakor and other aides, noted that while INEC funding is constitutionally provided as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the sheer scale of its mandate demands sustained financial support.
The INEC Boss explained further that INEC’s responsibilities, go beyond presidential and National Assembly polls to include governorship, state assembly elections, continuous voter registration and regulation of political parties.
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“Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you are able to do because of financial constraints,” he said, adding that voter registration remains the foundation of credible elections and an outdated register could undermine inclusiveness.
According to Amupitan, because INEC conducts elections that affect all three tiers of government, election expenditure including security should be treated as a collective national responsibility. He warned that even where security agencies maintain peace, poor logistics in deploying personnel and materials to LGAs, wards and polling units could still derail the process.
He said the commission under his leadership has prioritised security and logistics, and highlighted the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, as central to coordination.
Noting that ICCES, which evolved after the post-election violence of 2011, now operates at federal, state and local levels with the Inspector-General of Police, state commissioners and divisional police officers working alongside INEC, citing recent off-cycle polls where security intervention prevented disruptions.
Reaffirming INEC’s commitment to synergy through ICCES, Amupitan urged authorities to adequately resource both INEC and security agencies, stressing that Nigerians’ desire for a perfect electoral system comes at a cost.
“In Nigeria, we want the best. We want our electoral system to be 100 per cent. But if we want the nation to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said, charging senior police managers to sustain neutrality, proactive intelligence gathering and seamless inter-agency coordination ahead of 2027.
