The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested suspects over an alleged plot targeting ad hoc personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheduled to participate in the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Enugu, where he said intelligence provided by the DSS helped uncover those allegedly involved in the plot.
However, he did not disclose the identities of the suspects, the specific details of the alleged plot or the reasons behind the planned attacks.
Amupitan said the suspects would be prosecuted, adding that the commission was taking proactive measures to address security challenges before, during and after the elections.
He also announced plans to organise a security conference to examine threats to election security and develop strategies to ensure the safety of electoral officials and other participants.
The INEC chairman said the commission was strengthening its result management systems ahead of the 2027 polls, including the introduction of the eEC8A electronic verification platform.
According to him, the initiative is designed to make the movement of election results from polling units to the national collation centre visible and verifiable in real time through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Amupitan also directed officials to review Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) records across the South-East and address obstacles affecting the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He stressed that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised because of administrative or logistical challenges.
The INEC chairman explained that the commission had introduced an online registration portal during the third phase of voter registration to address challenges associated with distance and time.
He added that INEC had activated printable PVC technology under Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to reduce delays in the issuance of voter cards.
Amupitan said the 2027 general elections would involve more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the timetable he announced, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while the governorship and state assembly elections will hold on February 6.
He commended INEC officials for their performance during recent off-cycle governorship elections in Osun, Anambra and Ekiti states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and 16 federal and state bye-elections.
However, he identified public distrust, voter apathy and the spread of misinformation and disinformation as major challenges facing the commission ahead of the next general elections.
He warned that fake news, unverified rumours and deepfake videos could undermine public confidence in the electoral process, stressing that the conduct and competence of INEC personnel would be critical to countering false narratives.
Meanwhile, a former INEC National Commissioner, Mike Igini, has warned that political interference in the recruitment of election personnel could undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on ARISE News, Igini alleged that politicians were infiltrating agencies responsible for providing election personnel, potentially exposing INEC to legal and institutional liabilities arising from the actions of other organisations.
“What happened is that politicians infiltrate those agencies. They infiltrate those agencies and create liability for INEC itself as an institution,” he said.
Igini expressed concern over what he described as the failure to enforce relevant laws, warning that the situation could threaten the integrity of the forthcoming elections.
He also emphasised the need to ensure the credibility of ad hoc electoral personnel, particularly presiding officers responsible for overseeing voting and recording results at polling units.
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