By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has identified security risks, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, FIMI, as major threats to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving a Pre-Election Assessment Mission, PEAM, delegation of the International Republican Institute, IRI, led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier.

Amupitan said the identified threats could undermine voter confidence and pose significant challenges to the electoral process if not effectively addressed.

“Security risks, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, and the rapid proliferation of hate speech, disinformation, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, FIMI, pose direct threats to voter confidence,” he said.

The visit came three days after the Osun State off-cycle governorship election and a day before the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 general elections on Wednesday, August 19.

The INEC chairman said the assessment mission provided an independent perspective as the commission transitioned into full-scale preparations for the 2027 elections.

He disclosed that INEC was scaling up its operational capacity to deploy approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide during the 2027 elections.

Amupitan also said the commission was using the Automated Biometric Identification System, ABIS, under the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, framework to identify and eliminate duplicate entries and maintain a clean and verified National Register of Voters.

According to him, recent off-cycle governorship elections and legislative by-elections have served as operational tests for the commission’s field logistics, security coordination and technological systems.

He said the deployment of technology had significantly reduced vulnerabilities associated with Nigeria’s previous voting processes.

“The performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, for dual biometric verification and the real-time public display of Polling Unit result sheets, Form EC8A, on the INEC Result Viewing, IReV, portal continues to demonstrate high operational reliability, achieving upload rates above 98 per cent in recent off-cycle contests,” he said.

Amupitan said the commission’s operational roadmap included voter register audits, early deployment arrangements with transport unions to ensure polling units opened by 8:30 a.m., and improved assistive devices for persons with disabilities, pregnant women and elderly voters.

On security and financial threats, he said INEC was working with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, as well as anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

He said the collaboration was aimed at enforcing campaign finance regulations, monitoring electoral offences and ensuring that violators were prosecuted.

The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission would join presidential candidates later in the day for the signing of the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns, aimed at promoting civility among political actors.

Reaffirming the commission’s neutrality, Amupitan assured the international delegation of INEC’s transparency and cooperation throughout the electoral process.

“As an electoral management body, our sole mandate is to serve as an uncompromising, impartial umpire dedicated to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election that reflects the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he said.

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has remanded the disqualified APC governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Abimbola Olajumoke, in prison custody for one month over allegations of defamation, cyberbullying and kidnapping in a case instituted by the Chief Executive Officer of YSJ Agro-Allied Limited, Mrs. Yemisi Joluwe.

Chief Magistrate Abayin Adeosun had earlier granted Olajumoke bail but subsequently revoked the bail after she failed to appear in court at the next adjourned sitting, leading to her arrest and detention.

He adjourned the case till September 15.

When contacted by telephone, the plaintiff, who is the CEO of YSJ Agro-Allied Limited, Mrs. Yemisi Joluwe, said her decision to approach the court was aimed at seeking justice for the alleged damage to her reputation and the harm caused to members of her staff by the actions of the defendant.

She said: “At YSJ Farms, we have always welcomed constructive feedback and public scrutiny, as they help us grow and serve our community better. However, there is a clear distinction between a genuine complaint and a deliberate, malicious attempt to destroy a company’s hard-earned reputation.

“We filed this petition because the statements made by Abimbola Olajumoke were not only blatantly false but were specifically engineered to damage our corporate integrity. We have a duty to our investors, our employees and our customers to fiercely protect the YSJ brand from baseless slander.”

When asked whether the case would distract her from the company’s programmes, Joluwe said the day-to-day operations of the company had not been affected, adding that YSJ Farms remained fully focused on its agricultural mandate and on delivering quality produce to the market.

She said: “When false narratives are heavily amplified, it forces us to spend valuable time reassuring our stakeholders and partners. This lawsuit is actually a reassurance to those partners. It sends a strong message that our foundation is solid, our operations are transparent, and we will not allow anyone to compromise the trust we have built in the agricultural sector over the years, including its impact on the empowerment of youths in Ekiti State.

“Our primary goal is very simple: the complete restoration of the truth. We are seeking a formal retraction, a public apology and appropriate damages for the harm caused to our brand. Beyond YSJ Farms, this is about setting a standard for accountability.

“In this era of social media and instant communication, people must understand that words have weight and consequences. You cannot try to dismantle a legitimate business through falsehoods and expect to walk away unchallenged. We trust the judicial system to uphold the truth and set the right precedent.”

Speaking on reports concerning a kidnapping incident on the farm, Joluwe confirmed that the company maintains a strong partnership with security agencies to ensure the safety of its staff and management.

She said: “Let me be absolutely clear: YSJ Farms is an agricultural enterprise dedicated to empowering Ekiti youths and boosting food security. Security agencies are investigating the alleged involvement of Abimbola Olajumoke in the kidnapping and murder of our staff. We are determined to follow the process to a logical conclusion.

“The safety of our pioneer participants and new intakes is our absolute number one priority. The moment these malicious rumours surfaced, we immediately moved to reassure our workers and their families.

“We work very closely with local security agencies and the Ekiti State Government to ensure that all our farm clusters are secure environments. Our youths are currently at the farms, working diligently and earning their honest pay, and we are glad that the partnership is yielding positive results for Ekiti youths.”

By Emmanuel Okogba

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his absence from the signing of the National Peace Accord ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adebayo said Tinubu’s absence from Tuesday’s ceremony in Abuja could send the wrong signal about the President’s commitment to a peaceful electoral process.

The SDP candidate made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“President Tinubu not showing up today, he is showing that he is not committed to peace. He is sending a wrong signal to law enforcement, for the people who work for the government, that the President looks like he is not committed enough,” Adebayo said.

He urged the President to explain his absence and publicly reaffirm his commitment to the peace process.

“So, he needs to correct that by making a clear statement explaining why he is absent and making sure that he makes a statement committing himself to the peace process,” he said.

Adebayo argued that the President’s participation in the process was important to strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“There is no issue of state grandeur than the President showing that democracy is important. There is no more national security than the continuity of the state,” he added.

The SDP candidate also recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari attended the signing of the peace accord four years ago, despite not being a candidate in the election at the time.

“Four years ago he [Tinubu] was around, and President Buhari, who was not even contesting, was around. It is good for you as a leader that you believe in a peace process,” Adebayo said.

He also questioned the decision to have the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represent the President at the event.

“Oh please, this is an insult to the process. The SGF is not involved in the election. You have your Vice President who could come,” Adebayo said.

“I see that President Tinubu has been missing in action,” he added.

The National Peace Accord was signed in Abuja by presidential candidates and representatives of political parties ahead of the 2027 elections. The agreement, organised by the National Peace Committee, commits political actors to peaceful conduct and issue-based campaigns before, during and after the elections.

Among those who participated in the ceremony were Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Donald Duke, while the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, and other stakeholders were also present.

Obi called for credible and violence-free elections and urged Nigerians to reject candidates who violate the terms of the agreement.

Amupitan, meanwhile, reaffirmed INEC’s neutrality and urged political parties to focus on policies rather than personal attacks.

“The election should be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” he said.

The INEC chairman also said preparations were progressing for the deployment of about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units.

Bishop Matthew Kukah also called on political leaders to ensure that elections translate into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens while encouraging greater public participation in the electoral process.