The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Joash Amupitan has urged political parties and their candidates to focus their campaigns on issues rather than personalities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The INEC chairman said election campaigns should be conducted with greater political tolerance, stressing that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair.
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He spoke on Wednesday in Imo State while addressing concerns around Nigeria’s electoral process, including security, vote buying and the conduct of political campaigns 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.”
According to him, the Commission is working with law enforcement agencies to address violations of the Electoral Act, particularly acts of campaign denigration and other offences committed during the electoral process.
“Campaign should be based on issues, not personality,” Amiputan said, attributing some of the problems associated with political campaigns to a lack of political tolerance.
He said INEC was also engaging security agencies to ensure that those who violate electoral laws are arrested, investigated and prosecuted.
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On election security, the INEC chairman identified insecurity in some parts of the country as a major concern ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that insecurity could lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.
He said the commission was working with the Nigeria Police Force, the lead agency on election security, to develop strategies for conducting elections in volatile areas.
Amiputan also disclosed that INEC was intensifying intelligence gathering to tackle vote buying, noting that the practice was increasingly taking place away from polling units.
He said the Commission lacked the powers to arrest or investigate offenders, making collaboration with law enforcement agencies necessary.
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The chairman further disclosed plans to strengthen collaboration among relevant agencies, including the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, the Nigeria Police Force and other members of the Inter-Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
On the issue of campaign ahead of the 2027 general election, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) through it’s National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Bolaji had recently expressed concerns that the campaign billboards around Abuja city are only that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC.