‎2027 Poll: INEC uncovers plot to kidnap ad-hoc staff, warns officers against partisanship

By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja ‎ The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uncovered an alleged plot to threaten, intimidate and kidnap ad-hoc electoral personnel, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), ahead of the 2027 general election. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed that intelligence-led operations had led to the arrest of suspected kingpins allegedly behind the plot, adding that the suspects had been charged to court through the Department of State Services (DSS).

Amupitan warned that anyone who threatened or harmed electoral personnel would face the full weight of the law. He also cautioned electoral officers against partisanship and administrative negligence, insisting that personnel found wanting in the discharge of their duties would face appropriate sanctions. The INEC chairman spoke in Lokoja during the commission’s North Central zonal operational readiness assessment and interactive staff engagement, where he stressed that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the neutrality, professionalism and commitment of personnel at the grassroots.

He said the commission was strengthening collaboration with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) framework to identify and address potential threats before the polls. According to him, INEC is also deploying Election Risk Management tools to identify vulnerable areas across the North Central zone and share the findings with security agencies for early intervention.

Amupitan said the commission was intensifying preparations nationwide to ensure that the 2027 general election was better managed than previous electoral exercises, stressing that credible polls could not be achieved through last-minute preparations. He said INEC must sustain its operational readiness through adequate logistics, technological investment, staff welfare and improved administrative processes long before election day.

The chairman said the commission was preparing for an election involving more than 103 million registered voters and 176,846 polling units across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. He disclosed that the North Central zone, comprising six states and the FCT, had a combined 15.44 million registered voters, with Kogi State accounting for 1,932,654.

Describing the zone as strategically important to the electoral process, Amupitan said Kogi’s geographical position and borders with several states made its logistics, security and operational readiness critical to election administration. He charged electoral officers to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised through administrative lapses or logistics failures, urging them to uphold neutrality, professionalism and accountability.

On the voters’ register, Amupitan said INEC was working to address irregularities identified during the display of the register for claims and objections ahead of the publication of the final register on December 15, 2026. He assured that necessary corrections would be made before the final publication. The chairman also warned that misinformation and disinformation, particularly fake news and manipulated videos circulating on social media, posed a serious threat to public confidence in the electoral process.

He urged the commission’s voter education and publicity departments to intensify public enlightenment and advised citizens to verify information before sharing it. On staff welfare, Amupitan said INEC had introduced the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), effective January 1, 2026, to move its workforce away from the conventional civil service salary structure.

He added that an enhanced salary, hazard and field allowance package had been approved by the President, with implementation awaiting cash backing. Other measures, he said, included a 150 per cent increase in overhead allocation to state offices, improved duty tour allowances, plans for an owner-occupier housing scheme and the procurement of new vehicles, including 500 pickup trucks for logistics operations.

He urged staff to see themselves as custodians of electoral integrity, saying the success of the 2027 elections would depend on their ability to uphold the law and discharge their responsibilities without fear or favour.