INEC, Security Agencies Brace for FCT Polls, Voter Revalidation and Critical 2026 Elections Ahead of 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission continued Day 3 of its first regular stakeholders’ meeting for the year 2026 with a high-level engagement with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), as the Commission warned that the year would be one of the busiest in Nigeria’s electoral history ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at the meeting held at the Commission’s Conference Room, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, described 2026 as a critical year that demands heightened security coordination, proactive intelligence gathering and seamless inter-agency collaboration to guarantee peaceful, credible and violence-free elections.

Prof. Amupitan noted that the meeting marked his second engagement with ICCES since assuming office, recalling that the first meeting held on 28 October 2025 focused on security preparations for the Anambra State off-cycle Governorship Election.

2026 is a very busy electoral year,” he said, adding that the rising tempo of electoral activities places increased responsibility on security agencies to ensure that citizens can participate in the democratic process without fear.

He commended security agencies for their professionalism during the Anambra State Governorship Election held on 8 November 2025, barely 15 days after he assumed office, describing the peaceful conduct of the poll as a major achievement despite the state’s history of election-related security challenges.

The INEC Chairman disclosed that attention has now shifted to the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026, involving 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of the FCT.

He said the Commission has concluded key preparations, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of Electoral Officers and Election Security Personnel, and the ongoing training of ad-hoc staff, while BVAS devices are being configured ahead of the polls.

Prof. Amupitan also announced that a mock accreditation exercise would be conducted on Saturday, 7 February 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the FCT.

Beyond the FCT elections, the Commission will on the same day conduct bye-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies in Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State, further underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and effective security deployment.

He further revealed that preparations are underway for the Ekiti State Governorship Election scheduled for 20 June 2026 and the Osun State Governorship Election slated for 8 August 2026, alongside plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The National Security Adviser and ICCES Co-Chair, Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Abdullahi Hassan, Director of Internal Security at the Office of the NSA in his remarks praised security and law enforcement agencies for their outstanding performance during the Anambra election.

He noted that the achievement was significant as the nation prepares for multiple electoral events in 2026 and beyond, including the FCT Area Council elections, bye-elections in Rivers and Kano States, off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, and the 2027 General Election.

He assured that the Nigerian Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, in collaboration with other security agencies, is actively mobilising resources to prevent disruptions. Adequate personnel, he said, will be deployed to polling units and high-risk areas, while politicians with violent tendencies will be identified and restrained in accordance with the law.

Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by CP Abayomi Shogunle, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to massive deployment for all elections nationwide.

“The Nigerian Police Force will continue to deploy massively to ensure that elections are violence-free, peaceful and credible,” he said, adding that the Force will provide continuous protection for INEC staff, facilities and materials not only during elections but at all times.