The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has inaugurated its Electoral Logistics Committee (ELOC) for the 2027 General Election, with Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, charging members to ensure efficient and timely deployment of personnel and election materials nationwide.
The inauguration took place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said early preparations were crucial to ensuring seamless logistics operations, describing logistics as one of the most critical and challenging pillars of the electoral process.
He announced National Commissioner Rear Admiral Jamila Malafa (rtd) as chairperson of the committee, noting that her experience and the expertise of members drawn from the military and paramilitary services would provide the strategic oversight required.
The chairman said the multi-agency approach was designed to address the challenges of transporting personnel and election materials across Nigeria’s diverse terrain, saying “Election logistics involve the intricate movement of both sensitive and non-sensitive materials by land, sea and air. It requires precision, security and timeliness. This is why we are starting early”.
The committee’s terms of reference include assessing logistics requirements for the election and developing a comprehensive plan for the storage, distribution, deployment and retrieval of election materials.
It is also expected to assess the readiness of warehouses, vehicles, airports, seaports and other transport hubs; identify operational gaps; monitor compliance with approved logistics plans; and recommend measures to mitigate transportation bottlenecks, shortages and security threats. Other responsibilities include coordinating with government agencies, transport unions, relevant INEC departments and state offices, as well as submitting periodic reports and recommendations to the Commission.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Malafa said INEC had consistently relied on inter-agency collaboration to manage complex operational tasks during successive electoral cycles, saying “Managing election logistics is the operational bedrock of our democratic process, directly impacting electoral integrity and public confidence”.
She said the committee would develop a strategic logistics plan informed by lessons from previous elections, with a focus on ensuring efficient deployment and addressing operational vulnerabilities.
Malafa identified airlift and cargo planning for the transportation and distribution of sensitive materials to airports and state capitals as key priorities.
She added that it would coordinate and monitor the movement of personnel and election materials to local government areas, including riverine and other hard-to-reach communities.
