2027 Elections: INEC Says Adequate Funding Critical To Security, Logistics
With preparations for the 2027 general elections gathering pace, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says adequate funding will be crucial to securing polling operations and deploying election personnel and materials nationwide.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the call on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, at the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026), focused on developing a roadmap for election security.
Amupitan said funding constraints could limit both INEC and security agencies in meeting the logistical demands of elections, from local government areas and wards to registration areas and polling units.
He stressed that election security went beyond maintaining public order, noting that inadequate logistics could disrupt the process even where security agencies successfully keep the peace.
The INEC chairman also identified voter registration as the foundation of credible elections, warning that an inaccurate or outdated voters’ register could affect the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
He called for stronger coordination through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which brings INEC, the police and other security and government agencies together at federal, state and local government levels.
Amupitan urged senior police officers to maintain professional neutrality, strengthen intelligence gathering and improve inter-agency coordination ahead of 2027.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, also urged the police to provide strong operational support to INEC, stressing the importance of effective policing in protecting the electoral process.
The three-day CARSPO 2026 is being held in Owerri from September 21 to 23, with election security at the centre of discussions ahead of the 2027 polls.
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