Politics

INEC Highlights Importance Of Funding To 2027 Elections Success

Published

25 seconds ago

September 25, 2026

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said that the provision of adequate funding is critical to ensuring the security and logistics required for successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Prof. Amupitan stated this on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, themed: “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”

The INEC chairman was accompanied by National Commissioners Dr. Ken Nnamdi Ukeagu and Rear Admiral Jamila Abubakar Malaga (Retd.); the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo State, Chukwuemeka C. Ibeziakor, Esq.; and the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola.

Prof. Amupitan said although the Commission’s funding was constitutionally provided as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the scale of its responsibilities required sustained financial support to enable it conduct elections effectively.

He explained that INEC was responsible not only for presidential and National Assembly elections, but also for governorship and state House of Assembly elections, voter registration and the registration of political parties.

According to him, the commission also has statutory powers to request the deployment of security agencies for elections and voter registration, making security an integral part of the electoral process.

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.”

Prof. Amupitan stressed that voter registration remained the foundation of credible elections, saying an inaccurate or outdated voters’ register could undermine the inclusiveness of the electoral process.

He argued that because INEC conducts elections affecting the three tiers of government, election expenditure, including security-related costs, should be approached as a collective national responsibility.

The chairman said adequate funding was particularly important for the deployment of personnel and electoral materials to local government areas, wards, registration areas and polling units.

According to him, even where security agencies succeed in maintaining peace, inadequate logistics could still undermine the conduct of an election.

Prof. Amupitan said INEC had made both security and logistics priorities under his leadership, adding that the commission was working with government and security agencies to ensure that operational challenges did not undermine the 2027 polls.

He also highlighted the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), describing it as a platform that brings INEC and relevant security and government agencies together to coordinate election security.

He said the committee, which began as a coordinating arrangement after the 2011 general elections following concerns over post-election violence, had evolved into a structured mechanism for election security coordination.

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 government level.

Politics

LAWYER TASKS UZODINMA OVER COMMENTS ON WIKE, TINUBU

Published

7 seconds ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

The Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has come under criticism over his alleged uncomplimentary comments against President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

While reacting to a recent media briefing by the APC Governors’ Forum on his Facebook platform, a lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Princewill Dike, said Senator Uzodinma, at the briefing, read a communique in which the Forum resolved that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any political alliance capable of undermining President Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at any level.

According to him, the position of the governors further indicated that the Forum would not support any candidate who was not sponsored by the APC, adding that the governors’ campaign commitment was exclusively to APC candidates and that no arrangement capable of creating divided loyalty or conflicting interests within the party would be entertained.

Reacting to the development, Mr Dike asked why Senator Uzodinma was allegedly becoming “jittery” about Chief Wike, whom he described as a politician doing a good job for President Tinubu, particularly through infrastructural development in Abuja and his political influence across the country.

The public affairs commentator identified what he described as “jealousy” as one of the reasons for Senator Uzodinma’s alleged apprehension, quoting William Shakespeare’s Othello to illustrate his argument that jealousy could influence political conduct.

Mr Dike argued that Chief Wike had demonstrated considerable electoral value and political capacity, pointing to the 2023 presidential election results in Rivers and Imo states, where he said President Tinubu recorded 231,591 votes in Rivers State, compared to 1,647 votes in Imo State.

He attributed the Rivers result to what he described as Chief Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition”, arguing that any suggestion that such a political structure could undermine President Tinubu’s re-election was difficult to reconcile with the electoral figures recorded in the state.

Mr Dike also questioned Senator Uzodinma’s electoral strength, recalling that the Imo State governor placed fourth in the 2019 governorship election before subsequently emerging victorious through the Supreme Court, and argued that Chief Wike’s political influence should not be viewed as a threat to the APC or the President.

The lawyer further identified “threat” as another factor allegedly responsible for Senator Uzodinma’s concerns, claiming that the FCT Minister’s demonstrated political capacity had enhanced his influence around the Presidency and created the perception that the President could rely on Chief Wike beyond the APC Governors’ Forum.

He, however, advised Senator Uzodinma to concentrate on increasing his own political capacity rather than expending energy on Chief Wike, whom he described as a “political wonder boy” of Rivers State, stressing that political influence should be built through performance and electoral value.

Mr Dike maintained that the APC and its leaders should focus on governance, development and strategies capable of securing the confidence of Nigerians, rather than allowing internal political calculations and rivalry to distract them from the administration’s responsibilities to the people.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

2027: IGP Warns Against Partisan Policing, Demands Election Readiness

Published

21 seconds ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

Ahead of the 2027 General Elections, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunde Disu, has urged police formations across the country to strengthen operational planning, intelligence gathering, personnel training and community engagement, while reiterating that the loyalty of the Police remains to the Constitution, the law and the Nigerian people, and not to any political party, candidate or interest group.

He further charged senior officers to lead by example and ensure that professionalism, impartiality, discipline, integrity, respect for citizens’ rights and accountability guide the conduct of personnel.

The IGP gave the charge at the closing ceremony of the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026) that took place in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Wednesday.

The nation’s top cop also highlighted the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence, digital intelligence and data-driven policing, alongside professional media engagement, timely and accurate communication and sustained partnership with communities in strengthening public confidence and effective policing.

The conference resolutions, presented at the closing ceremony, provided for a comprehensive Nigeria Police Election Security Roadmap anchored on intelligence, political neutrality, professionalism, technology, community partnership, accountability and inter-agency collaboration, with emphasis on early warning, operational coordination, personnel preparedness and response to election-related threats.

Mr Disu directed participating officers to adopt a train-the-trainers approach by cascading lessons from the conference to Deputy Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, tactical commanders and other personnel under their supervision.

The occasion was attended by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma; the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya; the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan; members of the Imo State Executive Council; senior Police officers and other invited stakeholders.

It is hoped that the Nigeria Police Force would be committed to translating the outcomes of CARSPO 2026 into improved election preparedness, stronger supervision, intelligence-led and technology-enabled policing, enhanced community engagement and professional conduct across Commands and formations nationwide.

Politics

2027 Rivers Gov’ship: Group Vows To Mobilise Support For Lulu-Briggs

Published

21 seconds ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

A coalition of young professionals, community organisers and opinion leaders in Rivers State has endorsed the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, pledging to mobilise support for him ahead of the 2027 election.

The group, Grassroots Stakeholders Mobilization Forum Worldwide (GSM), formerly known as Sim-Fubara Stakeholders Forum Worldwide (SSF), formally adopted Chief Lulu-Briggs as its preferred governorship candidate during a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt.

Director-General of the organisation, Dr Tonye Jeminimiema, said the decision followed consultations among members and what he described as an assessment of public opinion across the state.

According to him, the endorsement was “unanimous and overwhelming,” with members concluding that Chief Lulu-Briggs was the candidate they wanted to support in the coming governorship contest.

Chief Lulu-Briggs was represented at the meeting by the Rivers State Chairman of the NDC, Comrade Success Jack, who attended alongside other party officials.

The governorship candidate was also presented with a certificate recognising him as Deputy Grand Patron of the Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly, while the Grassroots Stakeholders Mobilization Forum named him its Grand Patron and National Leader.

Dr Jeminimiema said the group’s decision was influenced by what it considered Chief Lulu-Briggs’ appeal across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, as well as his philanthropic and charitable activities.

A major highlight of the meeting was the donation of the Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly secretariat for use in political mobilisation and campaign activities supporting the NDC governorship candidate.

The secretariat is expected to be coordinated by the Grassroots Stakeholders Mobilization Forum Worldwide as part of its campaign structure ahead of the election.

The endorsement gives Chief Lulu-Briggs another organised support platform as political groups begin repositioning for the 2027 governorship race in Rivers State. It also marks a significant change in direction for a group that previously operated under the Sim-Fubara Stakeholders Forum identity.

The group said it would now focus on grassroots mobilisation across the state in support of the NDC candidate, particularly among young voters, community leaders and professional networks.

For Chief Lulu-Briggs, the development adds another layer to his effort to build a broad coalition ahead of the governorship election.

However, how much electoral weight the endorsement ultimately carries will depend on the group’s ability to translate organisational presence into sustained mobilisation across Rivers State.