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INEC Chair Gives Condition For 2027 Election Success, Tasks Police On Neutrality
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Amupitan, has emphasised that sufficient financial resources are essential for securing the necessary security measures and logistical support required to successfully execute the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan conveyed this message on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, during a goodwill address at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, which focused on the theme: “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
The INEC chairman noted that while the commission’s funding is constitutionally designated as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the breadth of its mandates necessitates continuous financial investment to facilitate effective electoral administration.
He elaborated that INEC bears responsibility for conducting not only presidential and National Assembly elections, but also governorship and state House of Assembly elections, managing voter registration, and overseeing the registration of political parties.
According to him, the commission additionally possesses statutory authority to direct the deployment of security agencies for electoral activities and voter registration processes, thereby establishing security as a fundamental component of the electoral framework.
He said, “Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you are able to do because of financial constraints. The system does make allocations of what is available and what is affordable at a particular time for the expenses and appropriation of the agencies, including the police and also including INEC.”
Amupitan emphasised that voter registration constitutes the cornerstone of legitimate elections, asserting that an inaccurate or obsolete voters’ register could compromise the electoral process’s inclusiveness.
He contended that because INEC administers elections affecting all three governmental tiers, election-related expenditures, encompassing security-related outlays, ought to be regarded as a shared national obligation.
The chairman noted that sufficient funding was essential for deploying personnel and electoral materials to local government areas, wards, registration areas, and polling units.
In his assessment, even when security agencies successfully maintain peace, insufficient logistical support could still jeopardise election administration.
Amupitan noted that INEC had prioritised both security and logistics under his tenure, emphasising that the commission was collaborating with governmental and security entities to prevent operational impediments from compromising the 2027 elections.
He further emphasised the significance of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, saying it is a collaborative forum that combines INEC and security and governmental agencies to facilitate election security coordination.
He explained that the committee, which originated as a coordinating framework following the 2011 general elections in response to post-election violence concerns, has matured into a formalised election security coordination mechanism.
According to him, ICCES now operates at federal, state and local government levels, with the Inspector-General of Police participating at the national level, commissioners of police at the state level and divisional police leadership represented at the local level.
The INEC chairman said stronger coordination among the agencies would be necessary ahead of 2027, noting that the police remained the lead agency when it came to election security.
He also cited recent off-cycle elections as evidence of the importance of adequate security and coordination, recalling that security agencies had helped to resolve incidents that could otherwise have disrupted the electoral process.
Amupitan said the experience of recent elections should be used to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general elections, particularly in intelligence gathering, logistics and inter-agency coordination.
He added that Nigerians expected a highly effective electoral system but must also recognise that achieving such standards requires adequate resources.
“In Nigeria, we want the best. We want our electoral system to be 100 per cent. But sometimes we don’t ask ourselves the question: if we want the nation to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said.
He urged the relevant authorities to provide the resources required by security agencies and INEC to perform their respective responsibilities effectively.
Reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to deepening operational synergy through ICCES, the Chairman expressed optimism that the Owerri retreat would produce an actionable, forward-looking roadmap ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
He charged senior police managers to sustain absolute professional neutrality, proactive intelligence gathering, and seamless inter-agency coordination to continuously protect the integrity of the ballot.
The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a suspected high-tech indoor cannabis farm at a residential property in Apapa, Lagos, arresting a 49-year-old Polish national and a 36-year-old Nigerian in connection with the discovery.
The suspects, identified as Thomas Razvickas, 49, and James Chisome, 36, were arrested on November 2, 2026, at about 8:15 am following intelligence received by police operatives.
The facility, according to the police, was equipped with sophisticated equipment for the cultivation, harvesting and processing of substances suspected to be cannabis.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, adding that both suspects were residents of the property searched by the operatives.
She said the suspects were currently in police custody, where they had made confessional statements and were providing useful information to assist ongoing investigations.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, subsequently visited the scene to inspect the facility, assess the extent of the operation and receive briefings on the investigation.
Fatai commended the operatives for their vigilance and effective use of intelligence, reiterating the Command’s commitment to combating drug-related offences and dismantling criminal networks across the state.
He also urged residents to sustain their cooperation with the police by providing timely and credible information that could assist in identifying and apprehending criminal elements.
The police commissioner assured residents that the Command would remain proactive and resolute in its determination to rid Lagos of criminal activities.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is willing to accept the results of the midterm elections, bringing a temporary end to questions about whether he would challenge the outcome following a difficult night for Republicans.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said he was prepared to respect the election results, declaring, “I am absolutely willing to accept those results.”
The president also congratulated Democrats on their electoral victories and expressed readiness to work with them in the interest of the country, despite earlier warnings that he would use his presidential powers to block legislation backed by the opposition.
“My message is congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country,” Trump told CBS News late Tuesday.
However, he suggested that cooperation would depend on Democrats being willing to work with his administration.
“I think they’re gonna want to work with me,” he said, adding that he could otherwise use his veto power to block their legislative proposals.
Republicans suffered significant setbacks in key races across the country as Democrats recorded victories in several contests, marking a challenging outcome for Trump’s party in the midterm elections.
Reacting to the results, Trump blamed his absence from the ballot as one of the reasons Republicans underperformed, arguing that his presence would have improved the party’s chances.
“I feel that I wasn’t on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that. If I was, we would have won,” he said.
He also suggested that dissatisfaction with some Republican candidates contributed to the losses, claiming that certain candidates lacked his support and failed to attract the party’s political base.
“In some cases, they didn’t like the candidates, and in some cases those candidates were not my friend, and the base knows that better than anybody. And they stayed back,” Trump added.
Despite his conciliatory remarks to CBS News, the president maintained a firm position on his administration’s legislative approach.
Speaking later with Fox News Channel, Trump again emphasised his intention to use the presidential veto to prevent the passage of Democratic-backed legislation.
A business. woman, identified as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State, reportedly collapsed in court during her arraignment in Akure on Tuesday following her arrest over the alleged discovery of human faeces at her ponmo processing centre.
The incident comes days after the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, ordered the immediate closure of a popular ponmo supply store on Igboliki Street in Akure following an environmental sanitation inspection that reportedly uncovered two buckets containing human faeces on the premises.
The discovery was made during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise conducted on Saturday, when Fasua led a monitoring team through Oke Aro, Iro and Igboliki streets to assess residents’ and businesses’ compliance with environmental sanitation regulations.
According to information from the inspection, the ponmo business had reportedly operated in the area for more than 21 years.
The operator, who was present during the inspection, reportedly identified herself as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State.
Following the discovery, Fasua ordered the immediate closure of the premises and directed the disposal of all ponmo products at the shop.
He also ordered that the operator be prosecuted in accordance with applicable local and state environmental laws.
The businesswoman was subsequently arrested and brought before a court in Akure on Tuesday for arraignment.
She reportedly collapsed during the court proceedings.
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