The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Taraba State has unveiled its Election Project Plan for the 2027 General Elections, setting key performance indicators for staff and electoral officers while strengthening collaboration with political parties, civil society organisations and security agencies to ensure credible, peaceful and inclusive polls.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Sa’ad Umar Idris, disclosed this during a series of strategic engagements with commission staff, Electoral Officers from the state’s 16 local government areas, critical stakeholders and members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The engagements, held between October 17 and 20, 2026, focused on operational preparedness, institutional neutrality, electoral technology, logistics, voter participation and security arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.
At a meeting with staff of the state office, Idris emphasised that election management required careful planning, effective coordination and teamwork.
He urged INEC personnel to uphold the highest standards of neutrality and professionalism, stressing that electoral officials must remain impartial in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The REC also assured staff that the commission was working to improve their working conditions and operational environment, while an interactive session provided an opportunity for personnel to discuss preparations and align with the commission’s vision for credible elections.
At a subsequent engagement with Electoral Officers from the 16 LGAs, Idris formally unveiled the state’s Election Project Plan, outlining key performance indicators and operational priorities for the forthcoming polls.
The plan prioritises institutional neutrality, technological integrity, operational transparency, inclusive participation, early recruitment and training of ad-hoc personnel, and robust security coordination.
On technology, the REC emphasised the need to optimise the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to strengthen electoral transparency and public confidence.
He also directed Electoral Officers to assess storage facilities, generators and Registration Area Centre infrastructure across their jurisdictions to prevent logistical challenges during the elections.
The plan further provides for the early recruitment and vetting of ad-hoc personnel, including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Registration Area Centre managers and technical support personnel.
Idris stressed that candidates for electoral duties must undergo appropriate background checks to guard against political partisanship and compromise.
He also called for early assessment and maintenance of available BVAS devices, alongside preparations for voter register verification and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution.
At an expanded stakeholders’ meeting on October 19, the REC engaged political parties, civil society organisations, youth groups, women’s associations, the media, faith-based organisations, traditional institutions and members of ICCES.
Discussions centred on the display of the National Register of Voters, PVC collection, election readiness, stakeholder collaboration, civic responsibilities and election-day mobilisation.
Stakeholders, including political party representatives, security agencies, civil society groups and media organisations, expressed their commitment to supporting voter education, public sensitisation, unbiased election observation and peaceful electoral participation.
Political parties also called on INEC to sustain its open-door policy, ensure equal access and maintain transparent mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.
The representative of the Aku Uka, chairman of the Taraba State Council of Traditional Rulers, offered prayers for peaceful elections, while other goodwill messages came from the Commissioner of Police, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the Muslim Council, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the Taraba State Independent Peace Committee.
The REC further directed Electoral Officers to replicate the stakeholder engagement framework at the local government level through regular consultations with traditional rulers, community leaders and political actors.
He warned that any proven political alignment by INEC personnel would attract disciplinary action in accordance with the commission’s Staff Handbook, adding that all activities must comply strictly with statutory electoral timelines.
On October 20, Idris convened an ICCES meeting with heads of security agencies in the state, with the Commissioner of Police serving as co-chair.
The meeting focused on security arrangements for INEC offices, PVC collection centres, electoral logistics and the identification of security flashpoints across Taraba State.
The committee agreed on joint security deployments covering all 16 INEC local government offices and 168 registration areas, alongside threat assessments and coordinated response arrangements.
It also resolved to strengthen security around INEC offices, strongrooms and collation centres, with static guards, patrols and rapid-response teams to protect electoral personnel, facilities and sensitive materials.
Additional measures were discussed to safeguard ongoing PVC collection and voter verification exercises, prevent voter harassment and intimidation, and improve intelligence monitoring at distribution centres.
The security agencies also reaffirmed their readiness to collaborate throughout the electoral process, from ad-hoc staff training and logistics to election-day operations.
INEC Taraba said the early unveiling of the Election Project Plan and the engagement of key stakeholders were aimed at establishing a coordinated framework for free, fair, peaceful, credible and inclusive elections in the state in 2027.
Marvin Mathias Bandawa
Public Affairs Officer
INEC, Taraba State
