2027: INEC, security agencies, civil society, must collaborate ahead of polls

• Calls elections, security two sides of a coin

By Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has described elections and security as two sides of the same coin of national stability.

This is even as Amupitan has declared that the 2027 General Election will be a test of INEC’s institutional resilience, with assurance to Nigerians that INEC is committed to a fair, free and credible election.

The INEC Chairman said this on Thursday at the 2nd Annual Lecture of the Alumni Association of the National Institute for Security Studies (ASNISS) in Abuja.

The INEC Chairman stated that without a secured environment, the sovereign will of the people will not just be threatened, it will silenced.

According to him credible elections are the bedrock of democracy and indeed, ‘they serve as a litmus test for the strength and resilience of our national security architecture”. The interplay between election integrity and national security, he stressed, is profound; with one sustaining the other.

“To have a peaceful, secure, and prosperous nation, the credibility of our elections cannot be compromised”, he stated.

The INEC Chairman, in his address, said, “In our journey toward democratic consolidation, we must move past the notion that elections and security are parallel tracks.

“They are, in fact, two sides of the same coin of national stability. “While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2026, and INEC Regulations provide the legal framework of our democracy, it is the security architecture that provides the enabling environment for those laws to breathe.

“Without a secure environment, the Sovereign Will of the people is not just threatened; it is silenced.

“As we gather here today, we are reminded that credible elections are the bedrock of democracy, and indeed, they serve as a litmus test for the strength and resilience of our national security architecture. “The interplay between election integrity and national security is profound; one sustains the other. “To have a peaceful, secure, and prosperous nation, the credibility of our elections cannot be compromised.

“In Nigeria, our electoral system has faced numerous challenges over the years, ranging from malpractices to threats of violence, vote trading that undermine the confidence of the electorate.

“These challenges not only affect the outcome of elections but also pose significant risks to our national security.

“Thus, it is imperative that we address these concerns with utmost seriousness and resolve.

“We meet at a critical juncture following the Commission’s recent release of the Notice of Election for the 2027 General Election.

“With the Presidential and National Assembly elections set for January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027, this roadmap is no longer just an administrative timeline; it is a security trigger.

“Today, Nigeria faces a sophisticated triad of electoral challenges: the convergence of social media volatility, the weaponisation of AI-driven disinformation, Foreign Information Manipulation (FIM) and logistic deficit.

“When these digital threats intersect with physical challenges like insurgency and communal strife, the trust deficit widens.

“It is our collective responsibility to close this gap with surgical precision- hence the importance of this lecture.

“We must recognize that credible elections foster public trust in governance, and this trust is crucial for national security.

“When citizens believe in the electoral process, they are more likely to accept the outcomes, reducing the tensions that can lead to unrest.

“Therefore, it is incumbent upon us as stakeholders—INEC, security agencies, civil society, and the electorate—to collaborate in fortifying the systems that underpin our elections.

“Under my leadership, the Commission’s approach is anchored on the Supremacy of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. We are currently navigating a new statutory frontier where adjustments to timelines demand earlier and more rigorous security deployments.

“The 2027 General Election will be a test of our institutional resilience. I want to assure Nigerians that INEC is committed to a fair, free and credible election.

“We understand that a free and credible election will confer both legality and legitimacy on the elected leaders and will foster the economic development of the country”, he said.