National Electoral Commission (INEC) To Establish IDP Voting Centres In Nine Plateau LGs

On Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said plans are underway to create voting centres for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in nine Local Government Areas of Plateau State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof. Samuel Egwu, made this disclosure during a meeting with leaders of political parties and other stakeholders at the Commission’s headquarters in Jos.

The REC said the initiative falls within Nigeria’s obligations under the Kampala Declaration on Internally Displaced Persons, which guarantees displaced citizens the right to participate in elections.

Egwu emphasised that INEC was preparing for the possibility that some displaced persons might not be able to travel to their communities before the elections.

“We don’t even know what will happen next week, but by the facts that we know now, we may have to prepare for IDP voting in nine local governments out of 17.

“These are Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos South, Mangu, Kanam, Kanke, Wase and Bokkos,” he said.

According to Egwu, where security issues hinder displaced voters from returning to their communities, INEC would establish voting arrangements at their places of displacement.

He further emphasised that votes cast by IDPs would be collated and counted as part of their original wards and constituencies.

“Nigeria is a signatory to the Kampala Declaration on internally displaced persons, and that means we signed as a country to do everything possible for everybody, including people displaced from their original homes, to vote during elections,” Egwu said.

“Their votes will still be taken to be counted as part of their wards for their taking part in choosing their local leaders in 2027,” he added.

The INEC commissioner called on political parties to partner with INEC to identify and track displaced persons to facilitate proper documentation ahead of the elections.

“We need to partner with you to identify and to promptly report where your supporters are likely to be displaced, so that we can document them for the purpose of IDP voting.

“It will be costly, but we have to do it because it is part and parcel of the democracy struggle to ensure that those people are capable of voting on election day,” he said.

He expressed hope that peace would return to the affected communities before the 2027 elections, enabling displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes.

“Our prayer is that maybe normalcy will return and people can return to their original abode. But should that not happen, they will have the chance to be able to vote,” he said.

He further described the meeting as part of the Commission’s ongoing engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders ahead of the elections.

Egwu stated that the meeting was taking place 129 days before the 2027 elections, stressing that more engagements would be held before election day.

“This is a very timely meeting, and there will be many more between now and the election.

“What we do as an election management body is to provide electoral information and to continue to update you as things change or don’t change,” he said.

Egwu added that consistent engagement with political parties was critical to the successful conduct of the 2027 elections.

“There is no way we can conduct an election in 2027 without talking first and foremost to political parties, because democracy is party politics,” he added.

He buttressed the view that civil society organisations were also included because they were “our natural allies” in strengthening democracy.

According to him, “Civil society represents citizens. They do advocacy not about their interest, but about what will improve democracy.”

While speaking on the electoral timetable, Egwu said INEC would publish the final list of candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections on September 12, 2026, while the final list for governorship and State House of Assembly elections would be published on October 10, 2026.

Egwu made it known that 121,821 new voters were registered in Plateau State during the last Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise, with females accounting for 65,928.

INEC further recorded 38,399 requests for voter transfers, while about 95,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from previous registration cycles remained uncollected in the state.

Egwu called on political actors to demonstrate their campaigns with decorum and warned against acts capable of undermining the credibility and peaceful conduct of the electoral process.