Shabs Cadini

INEC CHAIRMAN: ATTACKS ON NYSC MEMBERS, ELECTION OFFICIALS WILL ATTRACT FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has charged electoral officials across the South-South geopolitical zone to uphold impartiality, discipline and accountability as the Commission intensifies preparations for the #NigeriaDecides2027 Professor Amupitan gave the charge on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at the South-South Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he warned that partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial impropriety would attract disciplinary action. The Chairman said the assessment was part of the Commission’s field-based approach to evaluating operational preparedness, identifying gaps and strengthening service delivery ahead of the elections. He cited INEC’s conduct of governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, FCT Area Council elections and 16 by-elections as experiences informing preparations for the nationwide exercise. He disclosed that the South-South zone 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 electoral technology, Professor Amupitan said the Commission was preparing its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), including 57,000 newly procured devices, while auditing electronic result management systems to strengthen transparency in result transmission through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. Addressing concerns over suspicious photographs on the preliminary voters’ register published online, he 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 15 December 2026. The Chairman also highlighted the logistical challenges posed by the region’s creeks, coastal settlements and riverine communities. He disclosed that INEC had finalised a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Transporters Union to support the timely and secure transportation of election personnel and materials. On election security, he reaffirmed the Commission’s collaboration with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), emphasising intelligence-led planning and the protection of voters, electoral materials and personnel. He warned that anyone who threatens or harms INEC officials, including National Youth Service Corps members deployed for election duties, would face the full weight of the law. Professor Amupitan further emphasised strict compliance with electoral laws, regulations and guidelines, while highlighting 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 1 July 2026.