The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that anyone who attacks or threatens electoral officials, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed for election duties, will face the full weight of the law.
Amupitan issued the warning on Saturday during the commission’s South-South Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He stressed the need for adequate protection of electoral personnel, warning that attacks on officials carrying out their constitutional responsibilities would not be tolerated.
The INEC chairman also urged electoral officers across the South-South geopolitical zone to maintain impartiality, discipline and accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He cautioned commission staff against partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct, noting that such actions would attract disciplinary measures.
Amupitan said the readiness assessment was designed to evaluate the commission’s operational preparedness, identify challenges and improve service delivery ahead of the elections.
He disclosed that the South-South zone currently has 15,823,550 registered voters, including 3,736,434 in Rivers State.
The INEC chairman insisted that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised because of administrative negligence or logistical failures.
On preparations for the elections, he said the commission was working to strengthen its electoral technology, including the deployment of 57,000 newly procured Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
He added that INEC was auditing its electronic result management systems to improve transparency in the transmission of election results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
Amupitan also addressed concerns over suspicious photographs identified in the preliminary voters’ register published online, saying the commission was investigating the records and would take appropriate action based on verified findings.
He urged Nigerians to participate in the ongoing display, claims and objections exercise ahead of the publication of the final voters’ register scheduled for December 15, 2026.
The chairman further disclosed that INEC had reached an agreement with the Maritime Transporters Union to facilitate the transportation of election personnel and materials to difficult-to-reach communities, particularly those across creeks and riverine areas.
He reaffirmed the commission’s collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safety of voters, electoral officials and election materials during the 2027 general elections.
