JALINGO, Nigeria — The head of Nigeria’s electoral umpire in eastern Taraba State has launched a high-level tour of security and paramilitary formations to secure border regions and voter hubs ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dr. Sa’ad Idris, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), completed a two-day strategy tour in the state capital, Jalingo.
The move coincides with the rollout of the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which began on 11 May and is scheduled to run until 10 July 2026.
Securing the Ballot
Taraba State, which shares an international border with Cameroon and faces localized security challenges, requires intense logistical and tactical planning ahead of any polling cycle.
Dr. Idris met with top military and paramilitary commanders, including the Brigade Commander of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army in Jalingo, and the state heads of the immigration and anti-narcotics agencies.
The election chief urged the agencies, which form the core of the state’s Inter-Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), to use their networks to protect registration centres and sensitise the public on the importance of obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The key focus areas of the security collaboration include:
- Border Surveillance: Working with the Nigerian Immigration Service to prevent non-citizens from crossing over to register.
- Logistical Safety: Coordinating with the military to map out secure transit routes for electoral materials in volatile areas.
- Public Reassurance: Deploying personnel to guarantee the safety of citizens turning up at registration points.
Mobilising Youth and Public Enlightenment
Beyond hard security, INEC is moving to activate its civic machinery. Dr Idris held talks with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to scale up grassroots voter education, targeting rural communities where misinformation often leads to low voter turnout.
He also visited the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) headquarters, acknowledging that university graduates undergoing their mandatory national service will form the backbone of the election workforce.
“The corps members constitute the bulk of the ad-hoc staff requirement of the commission,” Dr. Idris said, emphasizing that early training on electoral integrity is vital before they are deployed to polling units for the 2027 vote.
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