*Says “If We Want Our Electoral System To Be 100 Per Cent, There Must Be A Cost For It”
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NBBSPIDEL.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has called for sustained and adequate funding of the Commission and security agencies ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that inadequate resources for logistics and security could undermine the effective conduct of the polls.
Amupitan made the call on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State, while delivering a goodwill message at the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, themed “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
The INEC Chairman said that although the Commission’s funding enjoys constitutional protection as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the enormous scale of its electoral responsibilities requires consistent financial backing if it is to meet public expectations.
According to him, the work of the electoral body extends beyond conducting presidential and National Assembly elections to governorship and state House of Assembly elections, voter registration and the registration of political parties.
He said financial limitations could determine how effectively institutions such as INEC and the Nigeria Police Force discharge their responsibilities.
“Sometimes, it is not what you would like to do that you are able to do because of financial constraints,” Amupitan said.
“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.”
Amupitan stressed that adequate funding was particularly important for the movement of personnel, sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials and other resources to local government areas, wards, registration areas and polling units across the country.
He warned that security alone would not guarantee a successful election where the electoral body lacked the logistics necessary to reach polling areas and perform its statutory duties.
“Even where security agencies succeed in maintaining peace, inadequate logistics could still undermine the conduct of an election,” he said.
The INEC Chairman, however, said the Commission was working with relevant government institutions and security agencies to ensure that operational difficulties do not undermine preparations for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said Nigerians were entitled to demand a credible and efficient electoral system but argued that achieving the standard expected by citizens required corresponding investment.
“In Nigeria, we want the best. We want our electoral system to be 100 per cent. But sometimes we don’t ask ourselves the question: if we want the nation to be perfect, there must be a cost for it,” he said.
He therefore urged the relevant authorities to ensure that both INEC and the security agencies receive the resources necessary to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
The INEC Chairman also underscored the place of security in election management, noting that the Commission has statutory powers to request the deployment of security agencies for elections and voter registration.
He highlighted the role of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which was developed as a coordinating mechanism following concerns about election-related violence and has since become a central platform for cooperation between INEC and security institutions.
According to Amupitan, experiences from recent off-cycle elections demonstrate the importance of such coordination, as security agencies had intervened in incidents which could otherwise have disrupted electoral proceedings.
He consequently called for stronger cooperation ahead of 2027 and charged senior police officers to maintain absolute professional neutrality, strengthen proactive intelligence gathering and ensure seamless inter-agency coordination in protecting the integrity of the ballot.
Amupitan expressed optimism that the Owerri retreat would produce a practical and forward-looking security roadmap for the general elections.
The call for increased resources is consistent with concerns the INEC Chairman has raised in recent months about the Commission’s operational preparedness. In July, he similarly sought increased funding, improved staff welfare and greater investment in electoral infrastructure, noting that INEC operates across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and 774 local government areas.
Earlier this month, Amupitan also warned during an assessment of INEC operations that administrative and operational gaps needed to be identified and addressed before the 2027 elections, rather than being allowed to emerge during the electoral process itself.
Also speaking at the police retreat, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, called for stronger collaboration between the police, other security agencies and INEC.
She said effective policing support was essential to securing the electoral process and creating the conditions required for free, fair, credible and transparent elections.
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
