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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said adequate funding is critical to providing the security and logistics required for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan stated this on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, themed: “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
The INEC chairman said although the commission’s funding was constitutionally provided as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the scale of its responsibilities required sustained financial support.
He noted that INEC was responsible for presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly elections, as well as voter registration and the registration of political parties.
According to him, the commission also has statutory powers to request the deployment of security agencies during elections and voter registration, making security an integral part of the electoral process.
Amupitan said financial constraints could affect the ability of government agencies, including INEC and the police, to fully implement their responsibilities.
“Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you are able to do because of financial constraints,” he said.
The INEC chairman also stressed the importance of an accurate voters’ register, describing voter registration as the foundation of credible elections and warning that an inaccurate or outdated register could undermine the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
He said adequate funding was particularly important for deploying personnel and electoral materials to local government areas, wards, registration areas and polling units.
According to him, even when security agencies successfully maintain peace, inadequate logistics could still disrupt the conduct of elections.
Amupitan said security and logistics had become priorities under his leadership, adding that INEC was working with government and security agencies to address operational challenges ahead of the 2027 polls.
He highlighted the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, as a key platform for coordinating INEC, security and other government agencies on election security.
The chairman explained that ICCES, which emerged after the 2011 general elections amid concerns over post-election violence, now operates at federal, state and local government levels.
He said the Inspector-General of Police participates at the national level, commissioners of police at the state level and divisional police leadership at the local level.
Amupitan said stronger inter-agency coordination would be necessary ahead of the 2027 elections, noting that the police remained the lead agency for election security.
He urged authorities to provide the resources required by INEC and security agencies to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
“In Nigeria, we want the best. We want our electoral system to be 100 per cent. But sometimes we don't ask ourselves the question: if we want the nation to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said.
The INEC chairman expressed optimism that the Owerri retreat would produce an actionable roadmap for the 2027 general elections.
He also charged senior police officers to maintain professional neutrality, strengthen intelligence gathering and improve inter-agency coordination to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, also urged the Nigeria Police Force to support and work closely with the INEC chairman in delivering free, fair, credible and transparent elections.
The INEC chairman was accompanied by National Commissioners Dr Ken Nnamdi Ukeagu and Rear Admiral Jamila Abubakar Malaga (Retd.), among other officials.
