The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun early preparations for the 2027 general elections with the inauguration of a multi-agency electoral logistics committee, warning that no Nigerian should be denied the opportunity to vote because of delays in the delivery of election materials.
INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the announcement in Abuja on Thursday, during the inauguration of the committee and the launch of a nationwide grassroots mobilisation campaign by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Amupitan also urged the agency to intensify voter education to tackle voter apathy, vote buying, and electoral violence ahead of the elections scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
Amupitan said the commission was starting its logistics planning early to ensure election materials and personnel reached polling units on time, regardless of the country’s geographical challenges and security conditions.
He explained that the timely deployment of resources was essential to ensuring that polling units opened as scheduled and voters could exercise their constitutional rights without unnecessary delays.
The committee, chaired by INEC National Commissioner Rear Admiral Jamila Malafa (retd.), comprises representatives of security agencies, transport unions and relevant government institutions.
Its responsibilities include assessing logistics requirements, developing plans for storing and distributing election materials, and auditing the readiness of warehouses, vehicles, airports and seaports.
The committee will also identify operational weaknesses, recommend corrective measures and monitor compliance with approved deployment schedules. It is expected to develop strategies for addressing transportation bottlenecks, material shortages and security threats while coordinating the movement of sensitive and non-sensitive election materials by road, air and sea.
Amupitan said Nigeria’s varied terrain and unpredictable weather conditions required a flexible logistics framework capable of responding to local challenges. He stressed that adequate preparation was necessary to prevent disruptions that could affect voters’ participation.
“Election logistics involve the intricate movement of both sensitive and non-sensitive materials by land, sea and air. It requires precision, security, and timeliness. This is why we are starting early,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Malafa said its work would include reviewing previous elections, identifying operational weaknesses and developing strategies to ensure the timely deployment of personnel and materials.
She added that the committee would assess airlift operations, cargo handling, land and maritime transportation, storage facilities and security arrangements.
According to her, difficult terrain, security-challenged areas and locations prone to crises would be mapped to enable authorities to develop appropriate transportation and security plans. Specialised subcommittees could also be established to oversee airlift, land transport, maritime operations, storage and security.
Meanwhile, Amupitan called on the NOA to take voter education campaigns to traditional palaces, markets, places of worship, campuses and village squares across all 774 local government areas.
He urged Nigerians to verify their voter registration status, collect their Permanent Voter Cards and participate peacefully in the elections rather than wait until election week to prepare.
He also assured voters that their ballots would be accurately counted and reflected in the final results, citing the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing portal.
The INEC chairman condemned vote buying, describing the practice as an attack on constitutional democracy. He said the commission had adjusted polling unit layouts to protect ballot secrecy and prevent voters from displaying their marked ballots to party agents or others seeking to influence their choices with money.
He added that INEC was working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other security agencies to monitor financial activities around polling units and apprehend those involved in vote buying.
Amupitan also warned political actors against violence and hate speech, raising concerns about artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes capable of inflaming ethnic and religious tensions.
He urged parties and candidates to focus on issues, while calling on the media and civil society organisations to fact-check viral claims and promote accurate electoral information.
NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu said the mobilisation campaign would operate through the agency’s directorates in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers in the 774 local government areas.
He said the campaign would use community dialogues, local-language communication, radio discussions, drama, audio messages and digital platforms to encourage participation and peaceful elections.
The initiative is themed “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Future: Say No to Apathy, Vote Buying and Violence. Let’s Build a United Nigeria in 2027”.
