The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has warned that anyone who threatens or harms election officials, including National Youth Service Corps members deployed for election duties, will face the full weight of the law.
Prof. Amupitan gave the warning on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the South-South Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He charged electoral officials across the zone to uphold impartiality, discipline and accountability as the Commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 general election.
He said partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial impropriety would attract disciplinary action, adding that the assessment was part of INEC’s field-based approach to evaluating operational preparedness and strengthening service delivery.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that the South-South has 15,823,550 registered voters, including 3,736,434 in Rivers State, and stressed that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised through administrative negligence or logistical failure.
On technology, he said the Commission was preparing its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, including 57,000 newly procured devices, while auditing its electronic result management system to strengthen transparency in result transmission through the INEC Result Viewing portal, IReV.
Addressing concerns over suspicious photographs on the preliminary voters’ register published online, Prof. Amupitan said the Commission was examining the records and would take corrective action based on verified findings. He urged the public to participate in the display, claims and objections process ahead of the publication of the final register scheduled for December 15, 2026.
He also highlighted logistical challenges posed by creeks, coastal settlements and riverine communities, disclosing that INEC has finalised a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Transporters Union to support timely and secure transportation of personnel and materials.
On security, the Chairman reaffirmed collaboration with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, emphasising intelligence-led planning and protection of voters, materials and personnel.
Prof. Amupitan also emphasised strict compliance with electoral laws and guidelines, while listing staff welfare measures including the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure, CEMBSS, enhanced salary, hazard and field allowances, and a 150 per cent increase in monthly state office overhead allocations effective July 1, 2026.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers State described the meeting as a critical opportunity to assess preparedness and resolve operational challenges.
In her presentation, Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs. Helen Ajayi, said the meeting aims to assess state preparedness, identify operational challenges and provide departmental updates on preparations for the 2027 election.
She stressed the importance of Electoral Risk Management in mapping potential risk areas and urged Electoral Officers to cooperate with assessment teams to prevent implementation gaps.
The meeting forms part of INEC’s nationwide operational readiness assessment for the 2027 General Election.
